Hosted by the Justice Today Podcast and funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, this podcast describes how decades of determined police work and cutting-edge forensic science identified Joe Michael Ervin as the person who assaulted and murdered four women between 1978 and 1981.  The episode features Detective Kari Johnson of the Denver, Colorado, Police Department and Dr. Angela Williamson, the Forensics Unit supervisor at the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Published by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), this publication discusses how domestic violence is an ongoing concern for both the police and the community. Research shows that the ability to intervene during early stages of emotional and verbal abuse or less physically injurious violence is critical to preventing future violence.  As first responders, police are uniquely poised to play a key role in assisting social service and public health efforts to prevent and reduce domestic violence.  Police officers often see problematic relationships and families well before victim advocates, doctors, and other service providers are even aware there is a problem.  Domestic-related calls for service are one of the most frequent categories law enforcement agencies respond to, even though many of these calls may not lead to an arrest.  This guide provides a process for proactive police response to the short-term problem of repeat calls for service at residences, called domestic-related repeat incidents or DRRIs. Importantly, the process does not replace what police officers and the criminal justice system already do for individual domestic violence crimes and victims but provides a complementary strategy that fills a gap by systematically addressing repeat noncriminal incidents occurring at residences, with the aim of forestalling more serious violence and keeping individuals, families, and the community safer. 

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and hosted by the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), this webinar will discuss tips for getting a successful conviction in a court case. Specifically, the webinar will discuss some tenets of courtroom procedures and testifying secrets. We will discuss the correlation of reports and the introduction of evidence, how to navigate cross-examination, and how to gain the trust and credibility of the jury.

When: Thursday, February 23, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., ET

Hosted by the Justice Clearinghouse, this webinar discuss the importance of first responding officers’ behavior and actions during sex crime investigations.  Contact with first responding officers proves critical to a victim’s recovery and the victim’s decision as to whether to move forward in the criminal justice system.  First responding officers can also play a critical role in the success of a sex crimes investigation.  Victims can feel helpless, vulnerable, and frightened by the trauma of the crime.  Supporting a victim’s feelings can help officers build needed rapport and trust and gain information to assist the investigation.

When: Thursday, February 16, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m., ET

Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, this webinar will discuss Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Many Project Safe Neighborhoods sites identify victim and witness intimidation as a problem in their jurisdictions. Intimidation tactics discourage continued engagement with the criminal justice system and negatively impact crime victims, their families, community relationships, and crime investigations and prosecutions.  Intimidation can instill fear and lead victims to experience psychological distress.  For many, the threats of violence or retaliation necessitate emergency and sometimes long-term relocation to ensure safety of victims and their families.  Relocation services vary by jurisdiction, require significant resources, and require a whole-community approach, particularly in regions with tight housing markets.  The following topics will be discussed during this webinar:

• General information on victim and witness relocatio
• What districts should consider when expanding relocation services
• Innovative ways jurisdictions are addressing the needs of victims:
  • Detroit Ceasefire: A Detroit-based program that partners with faith leaders to provide emergency relocation to victims and witnesses
  • Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office: State and local funding supports this Philadelphia program that provides relocation assistance to victim
• Various relocation services, the role of partner agencies in the community, and funding sources
• Significant challenges, how they were overcome, and lessons learned

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