The SHOW app provides something for us to give to the faith-based community to work with in preparing themselves.  Too often, other processes are law enforcement-centric and do not result in a shared product. With SHOW, the shared nature of the process and the intuitive design of the app allow the faith-based community to work through the processes themselves with law enforcement and other emergency services providers as support resources. It provides ownership and support to organizations seeking to prepare themselves for emergencies ranging from routine medical events to serious active threats.

~Lieutenant Mark Landahl, Homeland Security Commander for the Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office

The SHOW app was developed by the Justice Technology Information Center (JTIC).  JTIC is a component of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System (NLECTC), a program of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).  Released in 2016, this app helps houses of worship develop a safety and security plan tailored to their specific needs.

Understanding the context of officer-involved shooting (OIS) incidents and the resulting safety implications can benefit all law enforcement administrators.  To assist law enforcement leadership and analysts in enhancing their understanding and ability to respond to OIS incidents, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) will host the webinar, "Increasing Law Enforcement’s Analytical Capacity: Analysis of Officer-Involved Shooting Incidents,” on Wednesday, January 31 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET, which is open to all criminal justice professionals. 

This webinar, presented by Jim Burch, Vice President of the Police Foundation and Darrel Stephens, former executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, will review findings from recent analyses of OIS incidents.  Participants will also learn how consistent and detailed reporting of OIS incidents can benefit law enforcement agencies, contribute to transparency with the public, and improve policy and practice. 

For additional information or questions about the webinar, please contact BJA NTTAC at nttac@bjatraining.org or 1-855-BJA-TTAC (1-855-252-8822).

This report, released January 16, 2018, addresses terrorism-related activity and was required by Section 11 of President Trump’s Executive Order 13780: Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.  The Executive Order declared that “it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, including those committed by foreign nationals” and directed a series of actions to enhance the security and safety of the American people. The actions directed by Executive Order 13780 have raised the baseline for the vetting and screening of foreign nationals, prevented the entry of malicious actors, and enhanced the safety and security of the American people.

Congress passed the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015 in order to encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans. The law is named in honor of New York City Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu who were killed in an ambush attack on December 20, 2014.

The National Blue Alert Network supports the use and integration of Blue Alert plans throughout the United States in order to rapidly disseminate information to law enforcement agencies, the media, and the public to aid in the apprehension of violent criminals who kill, seriously injure, or pose an imminent threat to law enforcement. The Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office provides resources and technical assistance to states, territories, law enforcement agencies, and tribes seeking to establish or enhance Blue Alert plans; including, voluntary activation guidelines, examples of legislation, policies, and forms gathered from around the nation in a central Blue Alert data repository.

Blue Alerts can be transmitted to television and radio stations, cell phones and wireless devices, overhead highway message signs, and other secondary alerting mechanisms—in the same way that AMBER Alerts are commonly issued.

We are looking to increase our security camera database. Our goal is to blanket the county with cameras. They’re a proven weapon in fighting crime.

~Caroline Wojtaszek, Niagara County, New York, District Attorney

Several law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans, Louisiana, Police Department; the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Police Department; and the Niagara County, New York, Intelligence and Crime Analysis Center are working to increase their partnerships with residential and business security camera owners.  Through a registration process, agencies can reach out to those security camera owners who have agreed to share any video from their devices that may have captured a crime in that area.  This project does not have direct access to the camera.

This is an example of a crime prevention program using modern technology and resources that demonstrates the effectiveness and value of police and community partnerships.

Related Resource:

The Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative developed the Face Recognition Policy Development Template For Use In Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Activities, which is designed to provide guidance to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement entities, fusion centers, and other public safety agencies on developing policies and procedures for the use of face recognition tools in criminal intelligence and investigative activities.