On June 3, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the addition of 10 counties and cities as National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) sites.  PSP provides a framework for federal assistance to state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials and prosecutors in combating violent crime, especially gun crime, drug trafficking, and gang violence. To date, more than 30 cities have joined PSP to work with several DOJ components—including the Office of Justice Programs; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Marshals Service—to develop evidence-based, data-driven solutions to meet their unique violent crime challenges.

The 10 new PSP sites are:

1. Anniston, Alabama
2. Oxford, Alabama
3. Anchorage, Alaska
4. Davenport, Iowa
5. Wichita, Kansas
6. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7. Baltimore, Maryland
8. Cleveland, Ohio
9. Amarillo, Texas
10. Harris County, Texas

Over the years, researchers and practitioners have supported the implementation of numerous policing strategies to prevent crime and increase public safety. Some of these strategies have proved to be effective in preventing crime and enhancing public safety, while some have shown promising outcomes that contributed to community outreach, technology adoption, crime mapping, resource allocation, and data collection.  This website, sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center, provides several highlighted resources that can help law enforcement decision makers build awareness of effective crime reduction and policing strategies.

What’s New in Blue, offered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, is a series of short videos intended to keep viewers informed about innovative developments and critical issues in law enforcement.  The episodes feature informative discussions about ideas worth spreading throughout American policing in a format useful for viewing in roll call or training classes or for sharing with colleagues and across social media.  The Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center is highlighted in this latest episode.  The presenter, Dr. J. Pete Blair, Professor of Criminal Justice and the Executive Director of the ALERRT Center at Texas State University, also discusses the importance of coordinating responses among law enforcement, fire services, and the medical community to respond to active shooter/critical incidents.

State, local, and federal law enforcement officers are all a part of the same team.

~Attorney General William P. Barr

On May 2, 2019, Attorney General William P. Barr approved the creation of the State and Local Law Enforcement Coordination Section (SLEC-S) within the Office of Legislative Affairs. As of June 3, 2019, the SLEC-S will be responsible for ensuring that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) leadership is properly informed of state and local law enforcement’s top priorities, while working to ensure that DOJ has an impactful presence within the state and local law enforcement community. The SLEC-S will serve as the primary liaison with state and local law enforcement and all supporting entities. Initially, the SLEC-S will develop a strategic plan for direct engagement between DOJ and the state and local law enforcement community.

This guide is designed to help law enforcement better understand how to avoid or mitigate critical pitfalls in a child abduction case. These pitfalls can include delays in requesting an AMBER Alert because officers do not know whom to call and what core information to provide for an effective alert. It is also critical for law enforcement officers to know that they may contact the AMBER Alert Coordinator early in the case to discuss options for the alert, even as information is coming together in the investigation.