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The purpose of The Blueprint for Campus Police: Responding to Sexual Assault is to fill gaps in current research and identify best practices in campus police response to sexual assault. The Blueprint is a multi-level approach to the complex problem of campus sexual assault that builds upon the existing body of knowledge and recognizes the need for identifying emerging best… (read more)

Recent events in Ferguson, New York, and Baltimore have led law enforcement agencies to rethink how they can build and maintain trust, confidence, and satisfaction with the communities that they serve, especially communities of color. As agencies embrace this challenge, they may need resources to update their training and professional development. In collaboration with the Northern Virginia… (read more)

This handbook focuses on the interplay of body camera policies with technology and operational strategies. It highlights key planning questions and insights from agencies initiating their own programs. Checklists and resources will help further an agency's exploration in each planning area.

The nation's rural emergency responders face unique challenges when compared to their urban counterparts. In recognizing the need for consistent, quality training which addresses those challenges, Congress and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC or the Consortium) to develop and deliver relevant all-hazards training in support of… (read more)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) developed, with stakeholder input, this guide to provide recommendations for implementing a robust, stakeholder-driven, governance system focusing on emergency communications interoperability. This guide is a starting point from which your organization can begin to plan and implement regional governance structures… (read more)

Recent improvised explosive device (IED) and active shooter incidents reveal that some traditional practices of first responders need to be realigned and enhanced to improve survivability of victims and the safety of first responders caring for them. This Federal, multi-disciplinary first responder guidance translates evidence-based response strategies from the U.S. military's vast experience in… (read more)

The DHS State and Local Law Enforcement Resource Catalog (updated April 2017) highlights DHS resources available to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement. This document summarizes and provides links to training, publications, guidance, alerts, newsletters, programs, and services available to non-Federal law enforcement from across the Department. The Resource Catalog is not… (read more)

This project sought to determine the optimized message contents of imminent threat wireless emergency alert (WEA) messages delivered over mobile communication devices. This report presents findings for the first WEA messages disseminated about imminent threats (i.e., first alert messages) from two research phases with U.S. adults: (1) eight experiments, seven focus groups and 50 think-out-loud… (read more)

Emergency communications is a shared mission across all levels of government; the private sector, including private cultural and educational institutions; nongovernmental organizations; and even the public. The 2014 National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) provides information and guidance to those that plan for, coordinate, invest in, and use operable and interoperable communications for… (read more)

The Lethality Screen is a field tool adapted from Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell’s Danger Assessment, a screening instrument used by counselors and clinicians to assess a victim’s risk of homicide or severe re-assault. The Lethality Screen is a tool used as part of the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP). The LAP is initiated when a trained officer arrives at the scene of a domestic call, or when a… (read more)

The Safer Universities Program aims to reduce excessive drinking and intoxication at off-campus locations near the college, including parties at homes and apartments, as well as at nearby bars and restaurants It achieves this by enhancing enforcement of laws to encourage responsible hosting and service of alcohol in private and commercial settings. This tool kit describes the components of the… (read more)

"ICAT: Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics is PERF's new report in the Critical Issues in Policing Series. This report builds on PERF's work over the last two years on re-engineering policies and training on use of force. ICAT represents a new way of thinking about how police officers can be taught to effectively and safely defuse critical incidents by bringing together… (read more)

Most sexual assaults never even come to the attention of police. As recently as 2014, the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics found that only one-third of rapes and sexual assaults were being reported to police. Media reports, congressional hearings, research, the change in the FBI definition of rape, rape kit backlogs, high-profile cases of sexual assault on college campuses, and Justice… (read more)

PERF police chiefs and their community representatives came together for a national discussion on the challenges of police-community trust. The community leaders and police chiefs provided constructive ideas about improving police-community relationships. Police agencies across the nation can use this report to guide their efforts in building trust with their communities.

This report, the 30th in PERF's Critical Issues in Policing series, represents the culmination of 18 months of research, fieldwork, and national discussions on police use of force, especially in situations involving persons with mental illness and cases where subjects do not have firearms. The report presents guiding principles that are designed to provide officers with guidance and options, and… (read more)

This report, the 17th in the Critical Issues in Policing series, addresses the issue of policing major events, both planned and unplanned, such as political demonstrations, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism. The report aims to explore some of the key issues that have proved important or difficult in the real world of policing. PERF's approach to this project was to bring police… (read more)

This is the 28th report in PERF's Critical Issues in Policing series. PERF recently conducted three national conferences to discuss the use of force in American policing. The first conference, Defining Moments," addressed the key issues that came out of the protests and rioting in Ferguson and a report on that meeting was released in February 2015. This report summarizes PERF's second post-… (read more)

Creating a safe community at your college or university involves managing external relations and off-campus conduct. Off-campus community issues such as loud parties, noise complaints, alcohol and drug abuse, and disorderly or violent student conduct cannot be reduced or resolved with a reactive approach alone. It is vital for campus public safety, local law enforcement, administrators, and other… (read more)

In this inaugural webinar, the National Center for Campus Public Safety welcomed national experts to discuss three essential topics in campus public safety: Thomas R. Tremblay on trauma-informed sexual assault investigation, Dr. Marisa Randazzo on behavioral threat assessment and Steven J. Healy on fair and impartial policing. Director Kim Vansell also provided an update on the NCCPS. As an… (read more)

Establishing reliable indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators are important in ensuring the safety of our nation's students. This is the aim of Indicators of School Crime and Safety. This report presents data available on school crime and student safety. The indicators in this report are based on… (read more)

This report presents data available on school crime and student safety. The indicators in this report are based on information drawn from a variety of data sources, including national surveys of students, teachers, principals, and postsecondary institutions. This report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons,… (read more)

This report presents data available, with indicators varying by survey from 2009 to 2014, on school crime and student safety. This report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary… (read more)

This report compares campus law enforcement agencies serving public and private campuses, focusing primarily on 4-year colleges and universities enrolling 2,500 or more students. It examines the number and type of employees; agency functions; arrest jurisdiction; patrol coverage; agreements with local law enforcement; requirements for new officers; use of nonlethal weapons; types of computers and… (read more)

The report compares law enforcement agencies serving public and private campuses by number and type of employees, screening methods used for hiring officers, training and education requirements for officers, agency functions, types of equipment, computers and information systems, special programs, and written policy directives. General campus characteristics, including crime statistics, are also… (read more)

This report is the 16th in a series of annual publications produced jointly by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Institute of Education Sciences (IES), in the U.S. Department of Education, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the U.S. Department of Justice. This report presents data available on school crime and student safety and covers topics such as victimization,… (read more)

This report presents data available, with indicators varying by survey from 2009 to 2013, on school crime and student safety. This report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary… (read more)

This guidebook provides police practitioners with a resource for conducting problem analysis. It is not a text on research methods but instead identifies issues and concerns police practitioners face in analyzing problems. This guide does not do the "thinking" for problem-solving practitioners, but instead provides a starting point and tips for effective problem analysis. This guidebook builds on… (read more)

In December 2014, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing was established to identify best practices and make recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. To inform its work, the task force facilitated seven listening sessions, hearing testimony from 140 witnesses and reviewing volumes of written testimony, and submitted… (read more)

The goal of this toolkit is to help law enforcement agencies accomplish the following objectives: strengthen partnerships between law enforcement and the community, further the community's role as a partner in crime reduction efforts, identify and address social issues that diminish the quality of life and threaten public safety in communities, and link those in need to services and resources… (read more)

This publication is designed to provide practical advice on many aspects of the Early Intervention System (EIS), including defining the role of the first-line supervisor, structuring the intervention process for officers who have reached (or are about to reach) a threshold within the system, identifying ways to provide the various programs and services that supplement and reinforce EIS, and… (read more)

Strengthening the Relationship between Law Enforcement and Communities of Color: Developing an Agenda is a summary of a forum the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) hosted with law enforcement officials, civil right activists, academic experts, community leaders, and policy makers at the Ford Foundation in New York City. This meeting focused on identifying what can be… (read more)

Stalking creates uncertainty, instills fear, and can completely disrupt lives. This guide reviews the problem of stalking and the factors that contribute to it. It identifies a series of questions to help law enforcement analyze their local problem. Finally, it reviews responses to the problem of stalking and what is known about them from evaluative research and police practice.

An Early Intervention System is a system that statistically compares law enforcement employee performance against a range of numerical norms and helps assess which employee may need help with their personal or professional problems. In this guide, the San Diego Police Department documents its experience, along with a useful step-by-step outline, in order to help other organizations build their… (read more)

This publication gives police executives the chance to hear from their own colleagues why engaging in the process of racial reconciliation is not only morally but also functionally and operationally critical. The concepts of police legitimacy, legal cynicism, and informal social control introduced here provide the theoretical underpinning that helps to explain in practical terms how police who… (read more)

This guide is intended as a reference for those who are interested in implementing a problem-solving approach and contains information and insights into the process of reducing crime and disorder through problem-solving partnerships. It takes the reader step by step through solving problems, offers examples of problem-solving from the field, and provides additional resources.

The goal of this guide is to provide law enforcement executives with best practices regarding first responder mental health best practices learned from colleagues unfortunate enough to have experienced a mass casualty event. The National Alliance on Mental Illness brought together chiefs, mental health professionals, and others with first-hand knowledge to provide readers with a concise… (read more)

This guidebook summarizes for police practitioners lessons on recruiting and retaining divers, effective workforces. It provides a means for local officials to identify what has been tried elsewhere and what might be applicable in their own communities. It is a broad analysis of issues confronting many agencies and how these have developed over time. Each agency will face unique circumstances… (read more)

The guidelines report provides a framework to assist local law enforcement in planning and managing security for events that attract large numbers of people. It includes examples of best practices employed by federal agencies with security responsibilities, as well as strategies that have been effective for local law enforcement and private security. The focus is on national and regional events,… (read more)

This report encompasses a seven-year study conducted from 2010-2016 to analyze 1,016 line-of-duty deaths. Designed to enhance officer safety by providing the most up to date analysis of fatal incidents, the report examines events that involved both dispatched calls for service and self-initiated activities such as traffic stops. Making It Safer uses case studies, analysis of key findings, and… (read more)

As the issue of recruiting and retaining quality law enforcement officers makes national headlines, this report helps fill the void by telling the story of how five sites selected to participate in a COPS-funded project entitled "Hiring in the Spirit of Service," implemented significant change into existing hiring processes to recruit and select law enforcement officers that reflect a more… (read more)

Even as police departments are increasingly adopting body-worn cameras, many questions about this technology have yet to be answered. In an effort to address these questions and produce policy guidance to law enforcement agencies, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), conducted… (read more)

In August 2015, law enforcement executives and officers, crime victim advocates, academics, and other subject matter experts convened to discuss a draft of the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault… (read more)