News

Published by the Council of Criminal Justice (CCJ), this report discusses updates on criminal activity throughout 2021. In this year-end update, 27 American cities are examined for criminal activity involving violent crimes, property and drug offenses. Key findings include the following: The 2020–2021 rate of homicide increased by five percent;2021 aggravated and gun assault rates increased by four percent and eight percent, respectively (based on a subset of just 12 cities);Domestic violence incidents in 11 cities increased by almost four…

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses public mass shootings in the United States over the last half century. The shooters were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire. Most were insiders of targeted institutions, such as employees or students. Except for young school shooters who stole the guns from family members,…

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses several studies and data collected on body-worn cameras in this country. Body-worn cameras are widely used by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. They are worn principally by officers in the performance of duties which require open and direct contact with the public. Despite their widespread and growing adoption, the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of body-worn cameras is mixed. Some studies suggest that body-worn…

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), this report discusses two NIJ funded projects which introduce new methods and tools for collecting and processing digital evidence in cases involving child sexual abuse materials and large-scale computer networks. The NIJ provided funding to Purdue University and the University of Rhode Island. Purdue University created the File Toolkit for Selective Analysis Reconstruction (FileTSAR) for large-scale computer networks which enables on-the-scene acquisition of probative data. FileTSAR then allows detailed forensic investigation to…

Published by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), this toolkit provides 11 short videos addressing labor trafficking for law enforcement, businesses and the community. This video series was designed to supplement the Partnerships to Address Labor Trafficking Toolkit which was released in 2021. The toolkit was created to improve the awareness, responsiveness and accountability among law enforcement, businesses, communities, and other stakeholders addressing labor trafficking. The toolkit with its 11 short videos can be viewed on Youtube at…

Developed by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Training and Technical Assistance and funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Gun Violence Resource Hub (GBRH) has officially launched and is now available. The GVRH is a compilation of approaches from across the nation to combating gun violence. It includes approaches which are implemented by law enforcement agencies, as well as a broad range of other organizations such as hospitals, community organizations and prosecutors’ offices. Included are approaches which have been…

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently announced a new initiative, Operation Overdrive, aimed at combatting the rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths plaguing American communities. Last fall, the DEA initiated a data-driven approach using national crime statistics and CDC data to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and overdose deaths across the country. This will enable the agency to direct its law enforcement resources to areas where they will have the most impact: the communities where criminal…

Dick Kramer, U.S. Navy veteran and acclaimed artist and illustrator, 83, passed away January 14, 2022, at his home in Leesburg, VA, beside his beloved family. Known by many as the “Father of Modern Tactical Artwork,” Dick Kramer produced the finest in tactical art for first responders, as well as military themed art prints. According to Dick, these represent the brightest, bravest and best our nation has to offer. Mr. Kramer was born on April 1, 1938, in Newark, NJ….

Published by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), this toolkit was developed on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people – known as vicarious trauma – is an inevitable occupational challenge for those working in victim services, emergency medical services, fire services, law enforcement, and other allied professions; however, organizations can mitigate the potentially negative effects of trauma exposure by becoming better informed about vicarious trauma. The VTT includes tools and resources tailored specifically to…

Published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), “Five Things About School-Based Violence Prevention and Intervention Programs” discusses five components of school-based violence prevention and intervention programs. Topics include cyberbullying, victimization, aggressive and disruptive behavior, dating and sexual violence, and selective school-based violence prevention programs. The topics are based on practices rated by CrimeSolutions. To read and/or download the article, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p94p3sk