News

The Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) has released Navigating Conflicts: A Guide for Campus Leaders and Public Safety Personnel which is a framework to help campus leaders and public safety professionals understand conflicts and make informed decisions to address them. It was developed in partnership with the Divided Community Project at The Ohio State University.  The Guide offers campus administration and public safety leaders a framework, supported by practical ideas and tools, for dealing with campus conflict as…

Law enforcement personnel must be prepared to respond appropriately and supportively to persons who have experienced trauma. Victim-centered, trauma-informed approaches give law enforce­ment the necessary tools to provide this support. This publication, Identifying and Incorporating Core Principles of Victim-Centered and Trauma-Informed Response: Practices for Law Enforcement, provides a streamlined set of best practices from the field for first responders, evidence collection teams, investigators, supervisors, and agencies related to victim response efforts. Download a copy of this publication.

The Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) has released Navigating Conflicts: A Guide for Campus Leaders and Public Safety Personnel which is a framework to help campus leaders and public safety professionals understand conflicts and make informed decisions to address them. It was developed in partnership with the Divided Community Project at The Ohio State University.  The Guide offers campus administration and public safety leaders a framework, supported by practical ideas and tools, for dealing with campus conflict as…

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its establishment, the COPS Office invited community members and leaders in law enforcement, public safety research and civil rights to contemplate the next 30 years in American policing. This publication collects essays by a variety of contributors from all ranks of law enforcement as well as researchers and civic and civil rights leaders, all of whom touched on one or more principles of community policing – organizational change, problem solving or partnerships – and…

A new study is the first to shed light on the high prevalence of head injuries and related mental health symptoms in a previously overlooked population when it comes to concussion surveillance: law enforcement officers. The survey of Ohio law enforcement officers found that 74% reported a lifetime history of one or more head injuries and 30% had a head injury which happened on the job. Many more of these injuries went unreported than were treated by a health care…

Developed by the National Policing Institute (NPI), this report is a comprehensive public safety resource based on peer-to-peer learning from law enforcement leaders. The report offers valuable, tested insights for agencies and officials preparing for a safe and secure election season. It aims to provide law enforcement leaders with strategies to adapt their existing expertise to the election context, recognize the diversity of local laws and community expectations, and effectively balance public safety with citizens’ constitutional rights. Download a full…

The NIJ and its multidisciplinary partners have released an updated technical guide for conducting collaborative death scene investigations. The 2024 guide accounts for key changes in the field, including advances in DNA technology, communication and documentation technology; procedures for drug, child and infant death investigations; and collaboration between investigators and professional partners, families and the media.  This revised edition is a collaborative effort to update the content to ensure the best possible outcome for both death and criminal investigations today. Download…

The COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative – Critical Response program provides targeted technical assistance to law enforcement agencies experiencing high profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. Following a series of organizational and leadership changes at the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Police (CDP), Jensen Hughes conducted a thorough, independent review and analysis of the CDP’s policies, procedures and training and operational protocols pertaining to use of force. This publication presents the findings of that review and analysis…

A new study found that many widely assumed indicators of trafficking in online escort ads are likely not reliable – but some are.   The research builds on our knowledge about how traffickers construct and use advertising when trafficking victims and helps differentiate between those for consensual sex work.  In addition to key findings, researchers developed a practice guide to help law enforcement and other practitioners uncover more victims; build trafficking cases; and train investigators, prosecutors, judges, and victim service…

Published by the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), this guide is designed to offer law enforcement agencies proactive ways to build trust and legitimacy through intentional law enforcement–community dialogue and identifies ideas and actions law enforcement might take reactively to draw on that accrued trust and rebuild relationships in the immediate aftermath of a critical law enforcement action. Leveraging social science research and case studies of existing law enforcement–community dialogue processes, this guide offers four considerations for the immediate…