Juvenile Reentry, Part II

This podcast is part II of the juvenile reenty topic. Dr. David Altschuler, a principal research scientist with Johns Hopkins University and a national reentry expert discusses is back with us to continue the discussion. Read More...

Juvenile Reentry, Part I

In this two part podcast, Dr. David Altschuler, a principal research scientist with Johns Hopkins University and a national reentry expert discusses juvenile reentry. Part II of this podcast delves further into the topic. Read More...

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Announces Awards for Innovative Policing Projects

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced awards totaling more than $6.5 million under the Community Policing Development grant program, which funds a broad range of projects intended to advance community policing practices. Read More...

August, 2012 - Public Safety De-escalation Tactics for Military Veterans

In this podcast, Wayne Shellum, Training Services Director of the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute, discusses public safety de-escalation tactics for military veterans in crisis.
Read More...

Resources for Law Enforcement Agencies

Our thoughts are with the Aurora, Colorado victims, law enforcement personnel and the entire community. Following the tragic events in Aurora, CO, the COPS Office would like to highlight available resources that may help other law enforcement agencies respond to difficult situations, should the need ever arise. Read more...

July, 2012 - Synthetic Drugs

Trey King, Investigator with the Law Enforcement and Special Prosecutions Division of the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, discusses the growing problem and emerging threat of synthetic drug use in this podcast. Read more...

Department of Justice Awards "Vets to Cops" Hiring Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced funding awards to over 220 cities and counties, aimed at creating or saving approximately 800 law enforcement positions. Read more...

June, 2012 - Crisis Management

In this podcast, Ian Mitroff, author, professor, and crisis management expert, discusses what crisis management is and how law enforcement can be prepared to handle crisis in their jurisdictions. Read more...

2012 Conference: The Evolution of Public Safety in America

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is pleased to announce the focus of its anticipated 2012 Conference: The Evolution of Public Safety in America. The 2012 Conference will be held August 1–2 at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda in Bethesda, MD. Attendee Registration is FREE, but limited spots are available this year. Read More...

IACP and Cisco Systems Community Policing Awards

Each year since 1998 the International Association of Chiefs of Police Community Policing Committee has recognized the best practices of agencies around the world. Entries are categorized by population, featuring innovative ideas utilizing the power of community policing, through collaboration and partnerships, to make local, national and global communities safer from crime and terrorism. This recognition comes in the form of the IACP/Cisco Community Policing Award. Read more...

May, 2012 - The Value of Volunteering

In this podcast, Donna Cayson, the former volunteer coordinator of Pasadena California Police Department, discusses why law enforcement agencies should incorporate civilian volunteers into their departments and what the department gains by having those citizen volunteers. Read More...

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Encourages you to Take 25

The COPS Office supports the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in promoting their 2012 Take 25 national safety campaign. Take 25 encourages parents, educators, and law enforcement to take 25 minutes to talk to children about ways to be safer at home, on the Internet, and in the community. Visit www.take25.org to find out more, and read the COPS Office letter of support encouraging law enforcement to become involved with the campaign.

The COPS Office Community Policing Development Program

The FY 2012 Community Policing Development (CPD) solicitation is now closed. CPD funds are used to advance the practice of community policing in law enforcement agencies through training and technical assistance, the development of innovative community policing strategies, applied research, guidebooks, and best practices that are national in scope. Read more...

Connections Among People: Tracking and Preventing Violence through Social Network Analysis

Sociologist Andrew Papachristos focuses his studies on urban neighborhoods, social networks, street gangs, violent crime, and gun violence. As a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at Harvard University, Andrew will expand his use of network analysis to study crime in U.S. cities, paying particular attention to the way violence diffuses among populations of youth. During a break in a roundtable on collaborations between public health and public safety, he discusses how social network analysis can aid crime prevention. (January 2012) Read More...

April, 2012 - Connecting Cops & Kids, One-on-One

Connecting Cops & Kids, One-on-One, is a four-part video-based training series that’s designed to examine the way that law enforcement officers can increase their effectiveness in dealing with children they encounter in their daily duties. Annette Santella, project manager for Cops & Kids at the Fred Rogers Company, and Lieutenant Richard Mullen from the Allegheny County Pennsylvania Police Department discuss the training and National Roll Out Program. Read More...

The L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award Announcement

The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has announced a call for nominations for the 2012 L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award. The Sutin Civic Imagination Award, which will be presented at the August 2012 COPS Conference, recognizes a law enforcement officer and community member team whose innovative civic interaction has transformed public safety in their community. .Read more...

The COPS Office Introduces Essentials for Leaders

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) presents the Essentials for Leaders series. This series consists of summaries of existing and new COPS Office publications and resources, tailored for law enforcement executives, policymakers, and others who are interested in learning more about community policing innovations and best practices. Read more...

Diverting Shoplifters: A Research Report and Planning Guide

Public and private partnerships support new approaches to reduce the level of retail theft. As a companion to this publication, please download and/ or order Reaching Out to the Private Sector: Building Partnerships and Managing Your Workforce which provides suggestions on how to successfully approach potential corporate partners.

Vets to COPS Resources

The COPS Office is committed to supporting military veterans as they seek to transition into careers as law enforcement officers.  Law enforcement agencies can access a list of resources that will assist in their recruitment efforts and address the concerns of military veterans. Read more...

Developing effective partnerships is a core component of community policing

In this podcast, Dave Rogers, project specialist at Fox Valley, describes how partnerships can be used in tribal settings to advance community policing and problem-solving. Read more...

The COPS Office Introduces COPS BOLOs

“Be on the lookout” for these field-driven, evidence-based resources that will help illuminate the nature, function, context, costs, and benefits of community policing innovations. Read More...

The COPS Hiring Program (CHP)

The FY 2012 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) solicitation update period is now closed. Through a competitive 2012 hiring program, the COPS Office will provide funding to hire an estimated 500+ police officers, with a focus on recruiting and employing military veterans. Law enforcement agencies that applied under the 2011 COPS Hiring Program but were not funded or were partially funded were eligible to apply for CHP. Applicants were eligible to request funds to hire new officers who are military veterans (see Application Guide for more details on this requirement), rehire recently laid-off officers, or maintain officers scheduled to be laid-off. Read more...

Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group

The COPS Office and the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Coordinating Group (CCJG) is pleased to continue our partnership to bring the latest research on effective crime and justice practice to law enforcement, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the field. Read More...

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

One in three young people experience abuse in their relationships. You can help raise awareness today – visit http://wwww.teenDVmonth.org for more information! Read more...

Building Trust Between Law Enforcement and Arab- and Muslim-American Communities

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is the country’s largest and oldest Arab-American civil rights organization—founded in 1980 by a former U.S. senator to combat racism and discrimination. Abed Ayoub, legal director of the Arab-American Anti-Defamation Committee discusses how law enforcement can do a better job of relating and developing mutual trust and respect with Arab and Muslim-American communities. Read more...

MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) are partnering for the eleventh year to recognize, sustain and share the work of innovative partnerships between community groups and police to promote neighborhood safety and revitalization. Preliminary application deadline: March 11, 2012 Read more...

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

January is National Stalking Awareness Month, a time to mobilize against a dangerous crime. This year’s theme, “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.,” calls our nation to stop this crime by learning more about it. Read more...

January, 2012 - National Network of Police Foundations

Police foundations are vehicles through which police departments and the private sector interact. Pam Delaney, executive director for the National Network of Police Foundations, shares her expertise on how police foundations can assist law enforcement agencies in leveraging resources and working with private sector partners. Read More...

December, 2011 - Homeboy Industries: Working with At-Risk and Former Gang-Involved Youth

Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention rehab and re-entry program in the country, offering comprehensive services from tattoo removal to job placement. Homeboy Industries runs five businesses, mental health counseling, case management, and many other services. Father Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries and the author of Tattoos on the Heart, and in the podcast, he discusses his work with at-risk and former gang-involved youth. Read More...

Procedural Justice Webinar

Procedural justice provides a framework for organizational transformation within law enforcement agencies. By promoting the idea of fairness and transparency in resolving disputes, making decisions and allocating resources, procedural justice guides the development of sustainable organizational practices and procedures. Read More...

Michigan State University to Study Public Safety Consolidation

With support from the COPS Office, the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice is leading a national study to systematically examine the nature of public safety consolidation, communities in which police and fire services are delivered by a single department. The purpose of the multi-dimensional study is to identify the short- and long-term costs and benefits of this form of consolidation so that communities can better assess for themselves the feasibility of the model based on their unique circumstances. Read More...

November, 2011 - Addressing Public Safety and Emergency Management Incidents in Real Time

The Southeast Emergency Response Network (SEERN) approaches public and private outreach from an all hazards perspective to maximize preparedness and resiliency.  Ian Hay shares how SEERN works with law enforcement, communities, and businesses to foster true public, private, and academic partnerships by communicating in “real-time” to address public safety issues. Read More...

Department of Justice Announces National Officer Safety and Wellness Group

The OSW group will contribute to the improvement of officer safety and wellness in the United States by convening a forum for thoughtful, proactive discussion and debate around relevant programs and policies within the law enforcement field. Information and insight gained and shared will help enhance programs, policies, and initiatives related to officer safety and wellness. The goals of the group: Read More...

The Impact of the Economic Downturn on American Police Agencies

COPS compiled data from a number of current surveys and data sets, which show the
impact that the current economic climate has had on law enforcement agencies nationwide. Read More...

Increasing Our Impact: Breaking the Cycle for Drug Endangered Children

The Third Annual Colorado Drug Endangered Children Conference will examine the various harms to children as a result of their exposure to substance use, distribution, and manufacturing/cultivation as well as help us all to increase our ability to impact these families and make a difference for children .Read More...

October, 2011 - Target Corporation: Reaching Out to the Public Sector

Target Corporation builds partnerships with law enforcement to effectively promote safe communities, safe businesses, and safety for officers. Brad Brekke shares insight into how Target Corporation successfully works with law enforcement to achieve these types of safety and how business and law enforcement can partner within this new economy. Read More...

More than $243 Million in Grants Awarded Nationwide

The COPS Office is pleased to announce the award of 238 FY 2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP). CHP grants are designed to advance public safety through community policing by addressing the full-time sworn officer needs of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. Read More...

September, 2011 Radicalization

Radicalization has affected both big cities and small towns all throughout the nation. Chief Ronald Haddad shares some of the proactive, common sense solutions the City of Dearborn Police Department has taken to mitigate this problem. Read More...

Procedural Justice Webinar

Description: How officers respond to situations impacts the community’s perception of the agency overall and affects the level of trust. In order for the community to view law enforcement agencies and their personnel as legitimate, the tenants of procedural justice must be a part of their organizational culture. Organizational transformation of this type is a key component of community policing. Read More...

COPS is Helping Provide True National Coherence

The COPS Office is committed to its partnership with John Jay College's National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC), a coalition that seeks to reduce gang violence and disrupt overt drug markets through the High Point and Boston Ceasefire models.  The NNSC strategies have gained international media attention and have been featured on CBS's 60 Minutes, as well as in The New York Times and the Economist.  A critical component of these violence reduction models aims at promoting sincere and lasting racial reconciliation. Read more...

Celebrate Safe Communities

Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC) is crime prevention done the right way – local people working with local law enforcement to address local issues. CSC spotlights communities’ crime prevention efforts, enhances public awareness of vital crime prevention and safety messages Read more...

August, 2011 National Network for Safe Communities

The National Network For Safe Communities is helping law enforcement agencies effectively combat crime related to overt drug trafficking. David Kennedy shares how you can incorporate these tactics and make your community a safer place to live. Read more...

July, 2011 - Procedural Justice

Procedural Justice is a key component for any jurisdiction hoping to develop rapport with the communities it serves. Charlene Moe shares how the curriculum she is developing will help law enforcement build stronger partnerships. She also explains what the four pillars of Procedural Justice are and how they can aid organizational change. Read more...

COPS Video Cast: May , 2011 - "Hiring In The Spirit Of Service"

King County Sheriff Sue Rahr explains how her agency’s involvement in the “Hiring In The Spirit Of Service” program helped aid organizational transformation and drastically improved recruiting and retention. Read More...

What Can Law Enforcement Learn from Public Health?

Anthony Iton of the California Endowment talks about the public health approach to crime and safety problems. (March 2011) Read More...

June, 2011 - Interdiction for the Protection of Children Training

It is every community’s fear to have its children become the target of crime. The Texas Department of Public Safety has developed a course that is improving the way law enforcement protects the children in the communities they serve. Sgt. Derek Prestridge explains the complexity of these crimes and how the Interdiction For The Protection Of Children course provides some solutions.  Read more...

The L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award Announcement

The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) has announced a call for nominations for the 2011 L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award. The Sutin Civic Imagination Award, which will be presented at the August 1–2, 2011 COPS Conference, recognizes a law enforcement officer whose innovative civic interaction has transformed public safety in his or her community.  Read more...

Remembering Recently Fallen Law Enforcement Officers

NLEOMF aims to generate increased public support for the law enforcement profession by recording and commemorating the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers; and provides information that will help promote officer safety.  Read more...

The National Police Foundations Project announces workshop for June 2, 2011 at Target Corporate Headquarters

The workshop is open to individuals representing law enforcement agencies, private sector and non-profit partners, and staff and board members of current police foundations. The target audience is people who are interested in establishing, working with, and or growing a foundation..   Read more...

May, 2011 - Local Government Budget Issues

Restructuring and returning to core missions are just two of the ways to make changes to effectively accommodate reduced budgets. Leonard Matarese, the Director of Research and Project Development for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), talks about how agencies of all sizes are evaluating their organizations to reduce costs and improve operation.  Read more...

IACP and Cisco Systems Community Policing Awards

For the 13th year, the IACP and Cisco Systems Community Policing Awards recognizes and pays tribute to departments worldwide that have collaborated with their communities to bring about change, address crime and terrorism, and make their communities and nations a safer place to live, work, and play. Share with the world how your department has addressed these challenges through collaboration, prevention, and proactive partnerships. Winners will be honored at the 2011 IACP Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Read more...

COPS Accepting Grant Applications

The COPS Office is pleased to announce the availability of funding under the 2011 COPS Hiring Program (CHP), the COPS Child Sexual Predator Program (CSPP) 2011 grant program and the COPS Secure Our Schools (SOS) 2011 grant programs.  Read more...

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Encourages you to Take 25

The COPS Office supports the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in promoting their 2011 Take 25 national safety campaign. Take 25 encourages parents, educators, and law enforcement to take 25 minutes to talk to children about ways to be safer at home, on the Internet, and in the community. Visit www.take25.org to find out more, and read the COPS Office letter of support encouraging law enforcement to become involved with the campaign.

COPS Video Cast: April , 2011 - Biased Policing

Biased policing can have disastrous effects on a law enforcement agency’s effectiveness and community relations. Dr. Lorie Fridell explains the science behind implicit bias and shows how law enforcement agencies can proactively address this issue. Dr. Fridell shares how she and Circle Solutions have come up with two courses designed to help police facilitate fair and impartial policing. Read more...

April, 2011 - New Economic Realities

Michael Mason, Chief Security Officer for Verizon, explains some of the steps law enforcement agencies need to take in order to thrive in today's world. He shares how operational reviews and prioritization are key elements in adapting to the new economic realities they face.  Read more...

Police Chief Magazine Article Featuring Director Bernard K. Melekian
- The Police Chief 78 (March 2011): 14

The evolution of law enforcement in the United States over the last 40 years has beennothing short of remarkable. The evolution of policing from the professional model to community policing has been steady and unstoppable. Read more...

COPS Office Accepting Applications to Fund Innovative Policing Projects

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced the solicitation of applications under the Community Policing Development grant program, which funds a broad range of projects intended to advance community policing practices. Read more...

March, 2011 - Futures Research

David Dial tells us what Futures Research is and how it can help law enforcement agencies prepare for tomorrow’s challenges today. He also explains how crucial community policing will be in determining the direction of this reformation. Read more...

Did you know that March is recognized as National Ethics Awareness Month?

Take this time to promote ethical practices within your agency, and thus throughout the community. The COPS Office offers a variety of publications that are designed to enhance your knowledge of law enforcement ethics and integrity practices and discuss the ways in which community policing practices help make ethical law enforcement agencies more effective. Read more...

National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives presents the 2011 William R. Bracey Winter CEO Symposium: “Law Enforcement Embracing Technology for Safer Communities”

On February 18, 2011, Mora Fiedler, Senior Social Analyst and Law Enforcement Liaison, U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office will moderate panel two, “Watching out for You: Leveraging CCTV for Crime Reduction”. Read more about this event... (For more information on CCTV, read the following COPS' publication: Video Surveillance of Public Places)

February, 2011- Challenges of a Reduced Budget

Reductions affect law enforcement agencies of all types and sizes. Gordon Graham identifies some of the challenges and opportunities reduced budgets provide. He also shares some insight on how community policing can help agencies save money and reduce risk. Read more...

Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities (EPIC)

As part of the COPS-funded “Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities (EPIC)” project, the Vera Institute of Justice is collecting information about law enforcement practices for building strong police-immigrant relations. The Vera Institute will profile promising practices in a national report and a series of podcasts. If your agency has programs or practices to interact with immigrants, please visit their website at www.vera.org/epic or contact Susan Shah at sshah@vera.org by March 4, 2011.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

One in three young people experience abuse in their relationships. You can help raise awareness today – visit http://wwww.teenDVmonth.org for more information! Read more...

Director Melekian Speaks at US Conference of Mayors

On January 21, 2011, Director Melekian addresses the U.S. Conference of Mayors on where community policing is heading and how it can benefit our cities. Read more...

Call for Submissions: Goldstein Awards

The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing has announced a call for submissions for the 2011 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. Read more...

MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) are partnering for the tenth year to recognize, sustain and share the work of innovative partnerships between community groups and police to promote neighborhood safety and revitalization. Preliminary Application Deadline: February 28, 2011 Read more...

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

January is National Stalking Awareness Month, a time to mobilize against a dangerous crime. This year’s theme, “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.,” calls our nation to stop this crime by learning more about it. Read more...

January, 2011 - Parallel Justice

Susan Herman explains what parallel justice is, and how it can encourage collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve.  She also gives an overview of the ten guiding principles of parallel justice. Read more...

Badge of Bravery

The COPS office is pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance is accepting nominations for the Federal Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery and the State and Local Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery. Agency heads must submit their nominations by February 15, 2011. Read more...

The National Network for Safe Communities is a coalition of police chiefs, prosecutors, and other community stakeholders whose mission is to support jurisdictions around the country in implementing two highly effective crime reduction strategies – the group violence reduction strategy first launched in Boston, MA, and the drug market strategy first launched in High Point, NC. Read more...

« News & Events