Published by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), this report outlines the urgent staffing crisis that many law enforcement agencies across the country are experiencing. When PERF began examining this issue in 2018, a clear and worrying trend had already emerged in police recruitment and retention. That trend continued and the challenges increased over the tumultuous 2020–2022 period, as the findings from PERF member questionnaires show: 

• Officer retirements and resignations have increased. Sixty-five percent of agencies reported an increase in retirements between 2020 and 2022, and 66 percent reported an increase in resignations.
• Applications for open officer positions have decreased. Sixty-nine percent of agencies saw a drop in the number of applications for full-time officer positions between 2020 and 2022. 
• Officer staffing levels are dropping. Overall, officer staffing levels fell by 4.8 percent between January 2020 and January 2023.

Hosted by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), this webinar discusses the importance of effective victim response. Join Office for Victims of Crime Fellow Amy Durall for this conversation to learn how to apply the Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV) Strategy for increased victim engagement and offender accountability. Discussions will focus on rotating topics of leadership, partnering, training, and performance monitoring. Participants can connect with peers and experience guided discussions around current questions. Registration is not required for this webinar. 

When: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., ET

Published by the Office for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), this article discusses how young people may be particularly vulnerable to human trafficking simply because they are young and may be less equipped to make informed and sound decisions. This is why school resource officers (SROs) are in a unique position to recognize and respond to potential victims. As an SRO, you may be able to notice signs that something is wrong in a student’s life during your daily job duties. 

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and hosted by the National White Collar Crime Center, this webinar will delve into the challenges victims face in reporting crimes and how we can bridge the gaps in knowledge and understanding to support them better.  In this webinar, we'll explore the current threat landscape associated with domestic partner stalking and discuss phone apps and their potential for abuse.  We'll also discuss the crucial topic of analyzing victim mobile devices for artifacts of domestic partner stalking and how to use free and open-source utilities to aid investigators in gathering essential evidence during the investigative process.

When: Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., ET

Published by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and the Council of State Governments Justice Center through the Stepping Up Initiative, this article discusses how local governments are assisting in their commitment to reduce the overincarceration of people with mental health conditions. Stepping Up provides county governments with the resources and tools necessary to develop effective localized solutions, set and reach measurable goals, and participate in a national learning community of 569 counties at the time of publication.