NCJ Number
226502
Date Published
April 2009
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This issue reports on funding for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) for this fiscal year, suicide among law enforcement personnel, campus threat assessment training, and using social media to protect public safety.
Abstract
On March 11, President Obama signed the Omnibus Appropriations Act for 2009, which provides $500 million in funding for the COPS Office this fiscal year. Fiscal year 2009 funding will cover COPS Office programs for Community Policing Development, Indian Country, Methamphetamine, Law Enforcement Technology, Secure Our Schools, and Child Sexual Predator Elimination. One of the papers in this issue reviews the work and findings of a committee that examined the issue of suicide among law enforcement personnel. The committee was empanelled in 1998 by the Psychological Services Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Regarding the prevalence of suicide among law enforcement personnel compared to the general population, the data available do not suggest an epidemic of suicides in the law enforcement community; however, the committee’s research shows the need for improved data collection on this issue on a national level. Policy suggestions are offered for how law enforcement agencies can address various factors that may be related to suicide among law enforcement personnel. Another section of this issue reports on COPS Office’s funding for the development and implementation of a nationally focused, multidisciplinary curriculum for campus threat-assessment training that will be delivered by subject-matter experts at locations around the country. In addition, this issue describes a recent program launched in Washington, DC, entitled the Fugitive Safe Surrender program. It encourages individuals wanted for nonviolent felony or misdemeanor crimes to surrender voluntarily to faith-based leaders and law enforcement in a place of worship, thereby giving them opportunity to resolve their warrants and move on with their lives.