Those professionals who work to prevent and respond to violence – community violence intervention professionals and law enforcement officers – need support to sustain their work over time. Localities should build capacity by investing in a strong, healthy anti-violence workforce.
DOJ resources can help establish or expand support systems for those doing the work in the field. Key resources are identified below, followed by links to additional resources.
Key Resources
Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative
The Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative provides funding to support evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs. The Bureau of Justice Assistance CVIPI webpage provides access to a variety of resources for planning, implementing, supporting, and assessing community-based violence intervention and prevention efforts, including support community-based workforces.
Recruitment and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement Agency
The U.S. Attorney General, in an event hosted by the COPS Office and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, convened over 35 participants to review the current state of law enforcement recruitment and retention and explore ways they can be modernized to meet the needs of today’s agencies, communities, and workforce. The group pinpointed practices that may contribute to hiring and retention difficulties in several areas: eligibility, benefits and incentives, work/life balance and officer wellness, diversity, image and public relations, and pipeline programs. In each of these areas, leaders from various agencies and community groups proposed solutions that can be implemented at the agency level and action steps that can be taken by local and state governments as well as the federal government to support and institutionalize these changes. This publication summarizes the convening and presents the group’s recommendations.
Additional Resources
Grant Funding
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program is a formula award administered to each state and territory, based on their population and violent crime. The award is divided between state (60%) and direct to local (40%) units of government. JAG funding is administered by a state agency. JAG funds are extremely flexible in how they can support violent crime reduction. Localities should contact their State Administering Agency or the National Criminal Justice Association.
Training & Technical Assistance
Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
This training builds and connects violence intervention programs and promotes equity for victims of violence. It also offers Violence Prevention Professional Certification training.
Bureau of Justice Assistance National Training and Technical Assistance Center
The BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center connects justice agencies with national experts to help reduce violent and drug-related crime. A specific Violence Reduction Response Center connects localities with resources to help identify appropriate goals. Jurisdictions interested in implementing strategies outlined in the Roadmap may also contact NTTAC to request TTA from the Police Executive Research Forum. In collaboration with BJA and a cadre of subject matter experts, PERF will coordinate no-cost TTA services designed to enhance jurisdictions’ capacity to reduce community gun violence and promote community trust.
National Public Safety Partnership
The National Public Safety Partnership is a network of communities who have committed to implementing evidence-informed approaches to reducing violence and enhancing public safety. It is a DOJ-wide program that connects communities with peers and experts to receive coordinated training and technical assistance. Many of these resources are for grantees, but there are many more resources, through the National Public Safety Partnership Clearinghouse, available to all. The Clearinghouse has specific resources for supporting the people and strategies connected to community violence interruption and prevention.
Bureau of Justice Assistance - National Training and Technical Assistance Center
The BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center connects justice agencies with national experts to help reduce violent and drug-related crime. NTTAC provides no-cost training and specialized guidance matched to the needs of the requesting agency. A specific Violence Reduction Response Center connects localities with resources to help address these needs. Jurisdictions interested in implementing strategies outlined in the Roadmap may also contact NTTAC to request TTA from the Police Executive Research Forum. In collaboration with BJA and a cadre of subject matter experts, PERF will coordinate no-cost TTA services designed to enhance jurisdictions’ capacity to reduce community gun violence and promote community trust.
Guides, Reports and Webinars
This brief highlights lessons from the field in developing effective strategies that incorporate self-care for violence prevention professionals.
Best Practices for Training Frontline Violence Intervention Workers
This brief discusses the importance of recognizing violence intervention work as a health profession that has its own standards of practice and unique skills and competencies. It goes on to discuss training to certify violence prevention professionals and reviews administrative tasks and issues that are needed in VPP management.
Fighting Stress in the Law Enforcement Community
This NIJ Journal article summarizes the evidence from prior NIJ research on the causes of stress and fatigue in law enforcement and how to counter it.
Recruiting and Retaining Women Police Officers - The Measure Your Organization Sends Matters
This article from Perspectives on Research and Evidence-Based Policing is a collection of entries written by participants in NIJ's LEADS program.
Women in Policing: Breaking Barriers and Blazing a Path
This document presents the results of a research summit on the current state of research relevant to women in American policing.
COPS Office Recruitment, Hiring & Retention Resources
The COPS Office created this webpage to aggregate the wide variety of resources it has supported and created to provide guidance and resources to state, tribal, local and territorial jurisdictions in recruiting, hiring and retaining the best law enforcement personnel they can.
COPS Office Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act Resources
The COPS Office created this webpage to aggregate the wide variety of resources it has supported and created to provide guidance and resources to state, tribal, local and territorial jurisdictions in adopting and implementing best practices around supporting the health and wellness of law enforcement personnel.
Police Recruitment and Retention for the New Millennium
This COPS Office report discusses the challenges law enforcement agencies face in the retention of seasoned officers as well as the recruitment of new officers to the force. Forces that have expanded the mission of their police agencies—and the resulting demand for officers—illustrate the need for increased emphasis in retention and recruitment. After a review of the challenges, potential solutions are presented that are results of promising practices research and analysis. These solutions can be adapted to specific situations and conditions so that an agency can tailor its efforts to be most effective in its own local environment. This report expands the body of knowledge related to recruitment and retention and offers a resource for agencies in their workforce planning efforts. It will be of particular interest to both law enforcement executives and managers who are responsible for recruitment, retention and workforce planning.
This COPS Office interactive resource provides expert advice and practical tips that law enforcement executives can implement to safeguard officer mental health before and after a mass casualty event.