This article, published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, highlights the importance of including family and spouses in the discussion of officer safety and wellness.  The article suggests that agencies consider developing peer support groups and making them accessible to families, using the Overland Park, Kansas, Police Department as an example. This approach contributes to an organizational culture that supports holistic health and makes the agency more family-friendly. 

This new publication, sponsored by the Police Executive Research Forum, discusses the importance of involving local law enforcement in the effort to combat human trafficking. While human trafficking is a global concern, local law enforcement agencies play a central role in addressing the problem. More than in any other profession, police officers are likely to encounter victims and traffickers in their everyday work through neighborhood patrols, traffic stops, and responses to calls for service. As a result, officers are in a special position to identify, intervene with, and ultimately rescue trafficking victims. This publication provides recommendations to prepare and train local law enforcement officers to combat human trafficking.

Join other law enforcement investigators, patrol officers, and social service providers in this training hosted by the National Criminal Justice Training Center to further recognize, understand, and respond to cases involving child sex trafficking and exploitation. Examine the dynamics of trafficking and exploitation to improve skills related to victim identification and recovery, interviewing techniques for recovered victims, and effective techniques for a fully corroborated investigation to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable.

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., CT

Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, this COSSAP article discusses a variety of law enforcement-led diversion and fire/emergency medical services (EMS)-led responses to the opioid crisis emerging across the country. In partnership with substance use disorder (SUD) treatment providers, peers, and recovery personnel, these multidisciplinary programs are helping to reduce overdoses through connection to community-based treatment. Law enforcement and first-responder diversion program models provide a pivotal opportunity to redirect individuals with SUD, mental health disorders (MHD), and co-occurring disorders away from placement in jails or emergency departments to community-based treatment for substance use, mental health services, recovery support, housing, and social services. 

Hosted by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Policy Research Associates, this webinar discusses the importance of cross-training among behavioral health and criminal justice partners to better address the needs of individuals with behavioral health problems. Specifically, cross-training enables team members/stakeholders to learn about the processes, key topics, and best practices of both systems, which ultimately creates better lines of communication and appreciation of each other’s work and ideally leads to better outcomes for participants. The webinar also discusses the challenges and benefits of these partnerships and features examples from behavioral health and criminal justice agencies already engaging in them.

When: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Time: 2:00 p.m., ET