The Department of Justice issued its fifth annual report to Congress on its efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse. The report summarizes the Department’s extensive efforts during the reporting period from July 1, 2022, through June 30. This year’s report reflects the four pillars of the Department’s elder justice work. First, holding perpetrators of elder abuse and fraud accountable is the cornerstone of the Department’s elder justice work. Second, the Department supports in various ways older Americans who have experienced abuse or financial exploitation. Third, since state, local, and tribal elder justice professionals are often on the front line in responding to elder abuse and fraud cases, the Department worked to support the capacity and ability of state, local, and tribal communities to identify, address, and combat elder abuse in its many forms. Finally, the Department is committed to raising public awareness of fraud schemes and empowering older Americans and their families with the knowledge and information to protect themselves from elder fraud and abuse.

Three years ago, on October 28, 2020, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) released a refreshed online training program for the 28 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 23, available at https://28cfr.ncirc.gov. The training format and curriculum were refreshed to deliver self-paced modules that provide a more dynamic and intuitive experience, employing modern learning principles. Since its release, more than 36,000 certificates of completion have been earned by law enforcement personnel across the country—a nearly 54 percent increase in completions over previous versions of the training. Of these, members of the Texas Department of Public Safety have successfully earned more than 8,700 certificates since the launch of the refreshed program. This training may be accessed at https://28cfr.ncirc.gov by existing users or those with access to preauthorization codes; it may also be accessed through either the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) portal or the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP). 

BJA also previously refreshed the resource titled 28 CFR Part 23:  A Guide to Criminal Intelligence Policies, which provides key guidance on complying with the regulation, examples of real-world applications, and recommendations for intelligence database submissions and operations. For questions, email: 28cfr23info@ncirc.gov.

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and published by the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP), this report examines how law enforcement, courts, child welfare, and schools have traditionally intersected with behavioral health; defines cross-sector collaboration; and highlights opportunities and challenges associated with collaboration across sectors. Most importantly, this report highlights eight key ingredients for successful cross-sector collaboration across law enforcement, courts, child welfare, and schools, based on interviews with stakeholders engaged in these types of collaborative efforts across the country.

Earlier this year, at a convening hosted by the Office for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance and funded by the U.S. Attorney General, more than 35 participants met in Washington, DC, to review the current state of law enforcement recruitment and retention and explore ways these activities can be modernized to meet the needs of today’s agencies, communities, and workforce. The group pinpointed practices that may be contributing to hiring and retention difficulties in several areas: eligibility, benefits and incentives, work/life balance and officer wellness, diversity, image and public relations, and pipeline programs. For each of these areas, leaders from various agencies and community groups proposed solutions that can be implemented at the agency level and action steps that can be taken by local and state governments, as well as the federal government, to support and institutionalize these changes. This publication summarizes the convening and presents the group’s recommendations.

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and hosted by the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Specialized Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) for Law Enforcement Program, the Safer Schools Community of Practice will bring together law enforcement officials, school officials, and other stakeholders to address concerns and challenges related to school safety, uplift best practices, and identify resources to support those in the field. The first meeting will focus on guiding principles for school resource officer programs as outlined in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services’ Guiding Principles for School Resource Officer Programs. Space is limited, but once participants are confirmed, they will receive a meeting invitation from stopschoolviolence@iir.com.

When: Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., ET