From BJA and Global
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May 8, 2020
BJA Acting Director Michael Costigan on Police Week 2020
PSOB Program
“Police Week is a very special time for everyone at BJA. While the events must look different this year due to COVID-19, our commitment to honoring public safety officers is unwavering. Fortunately, our programs that serve these heroes are still fully operational, and we are eager to help.” – Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Acting Director Michael Costigan
One of the most solemn duties of a society is to honor those who sacrifice in service to others. Serving America’s public safety community since 1976, BJA’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders, as well as disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. This includes COVID-related instances. For questions regarding the PSOB Program or filing a claim, please visit the online portal at www.psob.gov or email AskPSOB@usdoj.gov.
U.S. Department of Justice OIP Virtual Training
FOIA Professionals
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Information Policy (OIP) has announced dates for their new virtual Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) training during the month of May. OIP offers several training opportunities throughout the year for agency FOIA professionals and individuals with FOIA responsibilities.
Given the COVID-19 outbreak and the need for maximum teleworking, OIP will offer virtual training sessions taught in real time by OIP instructors. These courses have been designed as shorter, topical training sessions for personnel from all stages of the FOIA workforce, from new hires to experienced FOIA professionals or FOIA managers.
Mental Health Month Resources
Stepping Up for COVID-19
This #MentalHealthMonth, prisons and jails face new health concerns. While continuing to work toward reducing the prevalence of serious mental illness in jails, they must also prioritize stopping the spread of the coronavirus. This list of resources assembled by the Stepping Up partners can support local officials and professionals as they work to fight COVID-19.
Webinar
How Social Media Enhances Your Staying Power
Social media silence from a government agency can make that agency seem obsolete, but when a crisis hits, that silence can result in a negative public view of the agency. How agencies build brand resiliency comes down to what they do online with their communities every day. In this no-cost webinar, sponsored by the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners, participants will learn what brand resiliency looks like—what works and what doesn’t—as well as see some case studies about who succeeded and who failed in building their brands and staying resilient when they needed to most.
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., ET
Applications Now Open
Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership Funds
BJA is pleased to announce the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program application funding period. Created by the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 1998, the BVP Program is a unique U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to provide a critical resource to state and local law enforcement. Applications are due online by 6:00 p.m., ET, on June 8, 2020.
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The Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council’s (CICC) Five in 5 is a collection of resources that may be of interest to law enforcement and homeland security partners working to improve the nation’s ability to develop and share criminal intelligence. The Five in 5 highlights promising practices, case studies, and success stories and identifies products, reports, training, and toolkits to build, implement, and enhance a criminal intelligence capability. You are encouraged to share this e-mail with your association members, colleagues, department/organization personnel, and others, as appropriate. Please contact cicc@iir.com to submit a success story or resource for consideration in the CICC’s Five in 5. To view the Five in 5 archive, visit: https://it.ojp.gov/FiveIn5.
The mission of the CICC is to advocate for and support state, local, and tribal law enforcement and homeland security agencies and personnel in their efforts to develop and share criminal intelligence for the promotion of public safety and the security of our nation.
This publication is funded in whole or in part through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this publication (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).