As local leaders seek funding for programs and initiatives that reduce criminal justice system involvement among people with behavioral health needs, one resource they can tap into is the State Administering Agency (SAA). Each state and territory, as well as the District of Columbia, has an SAA that oversees statewide criminal justice planning. The SAA’s main functions are to establish a plan for the use of federal grant funds, conduct cross-system strategic planning, analyze crime trends, design and implement programs, award subgrants to local governments, and evaluate program effectiveness. This resource gives more information on how to make use of SAAs.

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) leadership, in collaboration with the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) team, hosts this no-cost webinar that will address how law enforcement leaders can successfully advance change within their agencies. Whether introducing new policies, procedures, or programs, it is important to build an organizational culture where change is readily accepted. The presenters will discuss how challenges driven by organizational culture were overcome when the new Pre-Arrest Deflection Program was introduced at the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department (TPD) and will provide steps for working within agency cultures to build support for front-end diversion.

Date: July 22, 2020
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., ET

The Camden County, New Jersey, Police Department began its body-worn camera (BWC) program in 2015 with assistance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) BWC Policy and Implementation grant. Camden County instituted a variety of positions, mechanisms, and safeguards to ensure the success, sustainability, and peak performance of the BWC implementation. Read more about the measures the department took in this article from the BWC Training and Technical Assistance Program.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced $2.2 million in grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Community Policing Development (CPD) Microgrants Program.   A total of 29 awards are available with amounts ranging from $15,090 to $100,000. CPD Microgrants Program funds are used to develop the capacity of local, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies to implement community policing strategies.  

The President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice continued its series of hearings on community engagement, holding a hearing on accreditation on June 30, 2020. Testimonies focused on the value of accreditation and the impact it has on enhancing law enforcement and building trust in communities, what it takes to develop a successful accreditation program, the differences between state and national models, and the need for credentialing bodies to involve law enforcement practitioners and other subject-matter experts to develop and maintain accreditation standards.