After an introductory profile of the International Association of Chiefs of Police ‘s (IACP’s) Collective Healing Initiative (CHI), funded by the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), profiles are provided of the five demonstration sites participating in the CHI.
The full title of the OVC-funded initiative is “Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve: Supporting Collective Healing in the Wake of Harm.” Established in 2016, the CHI is a national demonstration project designed to assist law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in addressing the needs of those affected by violence and other divisive events that may result in or exacerbate existing community-police tension or discord. The IACP sought to lead this initiative because it recognized that prior to high-profile incidents, a strong foundation of understanding and collaboration must exist between police and the communities they serve. Work with CHI demonstration sites included developing, implementing, and assessing the practical tools needed for building relationships and joint strategies to reduce tensions, maximize communication, promote trauma-informed interventions and problem-solving, and facilitate healing between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This report on what was learned from the demonstration sites is intended to help law enforcement agencies develop a victim-centered, trauma-informed, collaborative response to healing victims. For each of the five demonstration sites, information and data are provided on CHI partners, reasons for applying to be a CHI site, and components of the collaborative approach to community healing.