The Impact - PSP Quarterly Newsletter
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Presents . . .
The PSP Impact
- A Quarterly Snapshot of the PSP Network -
October–December 2021
2021 PSP Site Listening Sessions
In October 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the selection of ten new sites to join the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) program.
This year, the following ten sites were selected:
Antioch, California
Aurora, Colorado
Charleston/North Charleston, South Carolina
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Gary, Indiana
Louisville, Kentucky
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Richmond, Virginia
Shreveport, Louisiana
Throughout November and December, DOJ hosted listening sessions for each of the new sites. The introductory sessions provided local leaders an opportunity to share with DOJ the issues facing their communities, such as major violent crime concerns. DOJ leaders were able to provide the sites with background on the program, details on what to expect throughout the engagement, and introductions to the PSP team members who will help facilitate their participation in the program.
The Forum on Prosecution Innovation
The DOJ, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is proud to present the 2021 prosecution-focused workshop series “The Forum on Prosecution Innovation.” This virtual series is supported through BJA’s PSP program and the Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) program. These programs promote education and knowledge sharing to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in increasing public safety and encourage and support the belief that criminal justice agencies benefit tremendously from sharing their experience and best practices. The PSP Prosecution Community of Practice (PCoP) and IPS encourage outreach and relationship building among all prosecutors and district attorneys (DAs) throughout their networks and beyond.
Each forum workshop focuses on a particular prosecutorial topic, bringing together prosecutors from PSP’s current and alumni sites, IPS sites, the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) membership, members of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Major County Prosecutor’s Council, AEquitas, and the Vera Institute.
Session One:
This session on November 2, 2021, described the core elements of intelligence-driven prosecution models, highlighted successful crime strategy units (CSUs), answered how and why to implement CSUs, and discussed lessons learned.
Keynote Speaker: Ms. Kristen Mahoney, Acting Director, BJA
Stakeholder Speaker: Mr. David LaBahn, President, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
Moderator: Ms. Beth McGarry, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
Presenters:
- Mr. Mike Mansur, Director of Communications, Jackson County, Missouri, Prosecutor’s Office (PSP Kansas City)
- Mr. Henry Chapman, CSU Data Analyst, Jackson County, Missouri
- Mr. Ryan Bokoch, Prosecutor, CSU, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (PSP Cleveland)
To view session one’s recording and resources, click here.
Session Two:
This session on November 9, 2021, explored the scope of digital evidence sources and strategies for how data can effectively be developed with forensically sound practices. Presenters discussed theories of admission, rules of evidence, and real-life examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in court proceedings. The presentation discussed how leadership can support this technology and how leaders can share their knowledge with the community so that effective, important public safety technology can be deployed with developed trust and legitimacy.
Keynote Speaker: Ms. Kristen Mahoney, Acting Director, BJA
Stakeholder Speaker: Ms. Jennifer Long, Chief Executive Officer, AEquitas
Moderator: Ms. Beth McGarry, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
Presenters:
- Ms. Cathee Hansen, Deputy DA—Digital Evidence Specialist, Denver, Colorado, DA’s Office
- Mr. Chris Gray, Crime Analyst, Denver DA’s Office
- Mr. Adam Bechtold, Senior Criminal Investigator, Denver DA’s Office Human Trafficking Unit
To view session two’s recording and resources, click here.
Session Three:
This session on November 16, 2021, discussed the challenges and issues related to prosecutor well-being, including a wide range of topics such as secondary trauma, burnout, compassion fatigue, and more. Prosecutors’ wellness is essential to their effectiveness in administering fair and equitable justice.
Keynote Speaker: Ms. Amy Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
Stakeholder Speaker: Mr. Nelson Bunn, Executive Director, NDAA
Moderator: Ms. Beth McGarry, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
Presenters:
- Ms. Susan Broderick, Program Director, NDAA
- Ms. Kirsten Pabst, Well-Being Task Force Chair, Elected Prosecutor, Missoula County, Montana
- Ms. Mary Ashley, Well-Being Task Force Chair, Deputy DA, San Bernardino County, California, DA’s Office
To view session three’s recordings and resources, click here.
Session Four:
This session on December 2, 2021, promoted the importance of a justice system based on fairness and equality and the role of prosecutors’ seeking fair and just prosecutions in improving community safety and well-being.
Keynote Speaker: Ms. Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General, DOJ
Stakeholder Speaker: Ms. Mona Sahaf, Deputy Director, Reshaping Prosecution, Vera Institute of Justice
Moderator: Ms. Beth McGarry, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, DOJ
Presenters:
- Mr. Dan Satterberg, King County, Washington, Prosecuting Attorney
- Ms. Dalia Racine, Douglas County, Georgia, DA
To view session four’s recordings and resources, click here.
Communities of Practice (CoPs) bring together those with common interests and/or professions to share lessons learned and promising practices, address common challenges, refine skills through interactive engagements, and expose members to new methods.
PSP has established CoPs in the areas of crime analysis, technology, prosecution, public information officers, and, most recently, law enforcement leadership. Click here to learn more!
The PSP team encourages all active PSP sites to participate in the CoPs. Please contact info@pspartnership.org if you would like to join or learn more.
Communities of Practice:
Goals and Upcoming Events
Crime Analysis Community of Practice (CACoP)
The CACoP promotes crime analysis as a core and integrated element of participating agencies. The CACoP provides opportunities to share strategies and work products and to discuss concepts to turn data into actionable information. The CACoP leverages BJA's varied and customizable array of training and technical assistance to support the crime analysis needs of PSP sites.
Monthly Event: Second Wednesday of every month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., ET
Law Enforcement Leadership Community of Practice (LELCoP)
The LELCoP provides PSP site leadership with opportunities to hear from other leaders and discuss the unique challenges, responsibilities, and issues they face daily. The LELCoP provides an environment for PSP site leaders to discuss issues, strategies, and solutions they are engaging in to drive positive change in the field.
Monthly Event: Third Tuesday of every month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., ET
Prosecution Community of Practice (PCoP)
The PCoP encourages outreach and relationship building among all prosecutors and DAs throughout the PSP network. The PCoP shares best and promising practices and innovative strategies to reduce violent crime, supports collaboration with law enforcement and the community, and supports PSP’s efforts to drive evidence-based prosecution and enhance public safety.
Monthly Event: First Thursday of every month from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., ET
Public Information Officers Community of Practice (PIOCoP)
Public information officers (PIOs) communicate critical information to the public and are frequently viewed as the “face” of an agency. To support the PIO’s critical role and responsibilities, the PIOCoP facilitates learning and networking opportunities among PSP site PIOs about community engagement strategies, messaging, and media relations.
Next Event: February 2022
Technology Community of Practice (TCoP)
PSP established the TCoP to provide an opportunity for PSP site technology professionals to collaborate and discuss the increasingly critical and expansive role that technology plays in daily crime fighting. The TCoP shares promising practices and innovative methods to help address law enforcement’s technology-related challenges and needs in procuring, implementing, and leveraging technology to build capacities in areas that are critical to fighting crime.
Quarterly Event: First Monday every three months from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., ET Beginning March 7, 2022
Communities of Practice:
Events From October to December 2021
CACoP: Peer Analyst Roundtables
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Crime Analysis Peer Analyst Roundtable was held on October 13, 2021. The discussion was moderated by Lead Subject-Matter Expert (SME) Ms. Annie Mitchell, and the topic was crime bulletins. Multiple PSP sites submitted crime bulletin examples ahead of time so that their site could show examples to the other CACoP members during the discussion. Ms. Mitchell also provided examples to show the members what to use and what not to use. Throughout the discussion, CACoP members were able to ask questions and discuss their own bulletins.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
This CACoP session was held on December 8, 2021. The discussion was moderated by Lead SME Ms. Annie Mitchell, and the topic was data dashboards. Amarillo and Harris County, Texas, provided dashboard examples so that their sites could show examples to the other CACoP members during the discussion. Ms. Mitchell also provided examples and discussed what she liked and did not like about each one. Throughout the discussion, CACoP members were able to ask questions and discuss their own dashboards.
CACoP: Crime Analysis Presentations
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
This CACoP session was held on November 10, 2021, and was moderated by Mr. John Markovic, Senior Policy Advisor, BJA. This session focused on the topic of crime analysis and problem solving. SME Ms. Julie Wartell presented on this topic and then answered questions from the CACoP members.
LELCoP Roundtable
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
This LELCoP Roundtable session was held on October 19, 2021, and was moderated by Lead SME Chief Sylvia Moir (Retired). Chief Moir welcomed everyone to the session and introduced the topic of consent decrees and constitutional policing. The session specifically focused on feedback from the PSP webinar “Perspectives on Consent Decrees and Constitutional Policing,” which was held on September 21, 2021. The discussion was 30 minutes and was followed by an optional 30-minute question-and-answer session. Mr. Arif Alikhan and Dr. Geoffrey Alpert were able to help answer questions from the LELCoP members since they were the moderators for the “Perspectives on Consent Decrees and Constitutional Policing” webinar.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
This LELCoP Roundtable session was held on November 23, 2021, and was moderated by Lead SME Chief Sylvia Moir (Retired). Chief Moir welcomed everyone to the session and introduced the topic of consent decrees and constitutional policing. The session specifically focused on feedback from the second session of the PSP webinar “Perspectives on Consent Decrees and Constitutional Policing,” which was held on October 28, 2021. The discussion was 30 minutes and was followed by an optional 30-minute question-and-answer session. Mr. Arif Alikhan and Dr. Geoffrey Alpert were able to help answer questions from the LELCoP members since they were the moderators for the “Perspectives on Consent Decrees and Constitutional Policing” webinar.
TCoP Roundtable
Tuesday, December 16, 2021
This TCoP session was hosted on December 16, 2021. The moderator and presenter of this event, Sergeant Patrick Kinney, presented on social media exploitation. Sergeant Kinney used his own examples from the Chicago, Illinois, Police Department (PD) to provide information on social media policies, communicating with the community on how you are using social media, and using social media effectively to help with cases. After the presentation, TCoP members were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss their own successes and challenges with social media.
-Virtual Peer Exchanges and Webinars-
The PSP team is committed to the continued delivery of virtual engagements, such as webinars and collaborative virtual peer exchanges (VPEs), to support law enforcement agencies and PSP partners during these unprecedented times. By employing Web-based technologies to host webinars and peer exchanges, PSP sites and their law enforcement partners can communicate and collaborate more frequently and in a more cost-effective and interactive way. VPEs promote exposure to evidence-based investigation and prosecutorial strategies among a wider and more diverse audience.
The following virtual engagements, held between October and December 2021, covered a variety of topics aimed at reducing violent crime and enhancing public safety in PSP sites and other state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Interested in participating in a VPE or need additional information? Contact the PSP team at info@pspartnership.org.
Consent Decrees and Constitutional Policing Webinar Series, Sessions Two and Three
Session Two: How Agencies Can Use Data Analytics and Technology to Strengthen Public Safety
The second session focused on how agencies can use data analysis and technology to implement meaningful changes that help improve public safety.
Featured panelists included:
Maggie Goodrich, J.D., Chief Executive Officer, TacLogix, Inc., and former Chief Information Officer for Public Safety, City of Los Angeles, California (Los Angeles PD and Los Angeles Fire Department)
Craig Uchida, Ph.D., President, Justice and Security Strategies, Inc.
Ms. Donna Roy, Strategic Advisor, Guidehouse, and former senior technology officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Consumer Fraud Protection Bureau
Mr. Joe Siegel, Leader, Integrated Justice and Police Accountability Practice, Gartner, Inc.
Mr. Ben Horwitz, Co-founder, AH Datalytics, and former Director of Analytics, New Orleans, Louisiana, PD
Mr. Steven Rosenbaum, Chief, DOJ Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section, opened the session. Mr. Arif Alikhan, former senior DOJ official and Director of Constitutional Policing and Policy for the Los Angeles PD, and Professor Geoffrey Alpert of the University of South Carolina’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice facilitated the discussion.
The panel focused on how data collection, reporting, analysis, and technology are critical aspects of consent decree compliance, constitutional policing initiatives, and the reduction of crime in communities. The speakers discussed their experiences with data challenges at the local and federal levels, as well as the benefits of a robust technology infrastructure for organizational effectiveness. In addition, the panelists offered insights and guidance on how to implement technology within police organizations and use research partnerships to help integrate technology into an agency’s specific environment.
Session Three: Community Engagement
The session featured a unique panel of law enforcement leaders and interviews with nationally recognized National College Athletic Association (NCAA) coaches who have worked to form innovative partnerships between local police officers and student athletes. They discussed methods to create meaningful and constructive relationships to bridge gaps in trust and understanding while protecting communities and reducing crime. They shared their personal experiences with the police and ways in which they have influenced and coached young student athletes to approach the complex issues surrounding policing and society.
The interviews included:
Ms. Dawn Staley, Head Coach of the women’s basketball program at the University of South Carolina.
Mr. Randy Shannon, Senior Defensive Analyst for Florida State University’s football program and former Head Coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes football team.
The session also included a panel discussion with:
Chief Ed Hudak, Coral Gables, Florida, Police Department, home to the University of Miami.
Sheriff Leon Lott, Richland County, South Carolina, home to the University of South Carolina.
They discussed their unique partnerships with the coaches to address contemporary police issues and work together to protect their communities.
The second panel focused on research regarding community engagement and effective community partnerships. It featured:
Justin Nix, Ph.D., Distinguished Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Chief Shon Barnes, Madison, Wisconsin, Police Department.
Chief Barnes, a nationally recognized leader in police-community relations and a former Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholar with the National Institute of Justice, and Professor Nix shared their research on effective community policing programs.
Click here to view session recordings.
Davenport Group Violence Intervention and Focused Deterrence VPE
The Davenport PD is exploring Group Violence Intervention (GVI) and utilizing this strategy to lower violent crime, specifically gun crime, in their community. The Davenport PD and the City of Davenport are working to align local law enforcement partners around GVI with the hope of implementing the strategy within the next six months. In support of this effort, the Davenport PD hosted an informational peer exchange webinar on October 5, 2021, with Joe McHale and the Institute for Intergovernmental Research to present the GVI model to local law enforcement partners to help gain an understanding of how the model functions and next steps to move forward with this strategy. Local law enforcement partners included the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Bettendorf PD, the Scott County Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Seventh Judicial District Probation and Parole Services, the Juvenile Court, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Collective Efficacy Peer Exchange Indianapolis and Nashville
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) hosted a peer exchange training with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) with a focus of Collective Efficacy on October 25, 2021. The MNPD presented a webinar focusing on strengthening relationships in the community and developing stronger engagement and collaboration with the community during investigations. The IMPD has received implicit bias training but believes that additional training in collective efficacy will be beneficial to the agency and specifically requested to meet with a site who has implemented this approach.
Violent Crime Strategies Peer Exchange Miami and Phoenix
The Miami PD hosted a VPE with the Phoenix PD's Homicide Unit on November 3, 2021, to get an overview of the Phoenix Violent Crime Capacities and to have the opportunity to ask questions about the work their team is doing in Phoenix. The peer exchange included a brief presentation from the Phoenix PD as well as an in-depth question-and-answer session between the two agencies.
Real Time Crime Center Peer Exchange Amarillo and Oxford
The Amarillo PD participated in a peer exchange with the Oxford PD to learn about the Oxford PD’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC). The Amarillo PD has recently been awarded dedicated funds to launch an RTCC, and as a first step, the Crime Analysis and Intelligence Unit requested assistance in connecting with other departments operating successful RTCCs and specifically a VPE with the Anniston/Oxford site.
-Virtual Academy-
PSP, in collaboration with leading law enforcement experts and practitioners, has developed interactive, virtual courses on law enforcement topics identified to be of great importance and shared interest to PSP network-wide and beyond.
These courses are available nationwide to requesting law enforcement professionals as part of the PSP Virtual Academy. All the courses within the Virtual Academy are self-paced, and students can access the platform using computers, smartphones, and tablets. Upon completion, students are given an opportunity to print and save a completion certificate. This can then be shared with their training staff or placed in their training records.
Click here to learn more: Virtual Academy (nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org)
Featured Toolkit: Community Violence Intervention
The PSP team is featuring the “Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Resources” Public Safety Clearinghouse toolkit, consisting of various federal resources focusing on CVI for both law enforcement and the community.
The Public Safety Clearinghouse is a public online tool that serves as a one-stop shop for violence reduction and public safety resources from DOJ program components and other federal entities. The Clearinghouse functions as an online catalog for users to browse, search, and ultimately build a custom toolkit of resources that can be downloaded in one package and shared with others for future access.
Designed for maximum functionality on your smartphone or tablet, the Public Safety Clearinghouse mobile app offers a convenient, single point of access to DOJ violence reduction and public safety resources for the criminal justice field. Download the Public Safety Clearinghouse mobile app today by clicking on the Apple or Android link or by visiting your mobile app store.
If you have questions or would like to add any DOJ-sponsored resources to the Clearinghouse, please contact info@pspartnership.org.
-Contact Us-
We want to hear from you! Do you have a success story or information that you would like to feature in future editions of The PSP Impact?
Please contact info@pspartnership.org for suggestions on items to spotlight.
This project was supported by Grant No. 2016-DG-BX-K006 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART). Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.