Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance Center


The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies across the nation serve all people with fair and effective public safety practices. To that end, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) offers the Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services to assist law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in identifying and implementing organizational improvements through training, consultation, peer-based learning, analysis, and in-depth assessments.

The COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative is structured as a continuum of services offered to law enforcement agencies on a strictly voluntary basis. The three programs along the continuum offer services that range in time and complexity all designed to meet the following goals:

 
Goal 1

Enhance officer safety and wellness

Goal 2

Improve fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency in agency operations

Goal 3

Build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and continuous improvement

Goal 4

Highlight promising and best practices in law enforcement

 

 

Overview

 

  • Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) offers training and technical assistance on a request-and-deliver basis through a historic coalition of law enforcement stakeholder associations. The program uses a “by the field, for the field” approach while delivering individualized technical assistance using leading experts across a wide range of topics. Technical assistance encompasses a host of methods, including training, peer-to-peer consultation, analysis, coaching, and strategic planning designed to help agencies improve and promote a positive image of policing and uplifting promising practices and programs.
  • The Critical Response program offers an intermediate form of technical assistance that includes issue-specific or after-action reviews and reports or targeted assistance in the wake of a critical incident or with a narrower focus on a particular issue. In contrast to Organizational Assessment, this program does not involve on-going implementation and technical assistance in the long term. Recently this program has addressed topics such as community policing implementation, data and technology improvements, human resources and hiring, and officer involved traffic accidents, among others.
  • The Organizational Assessment offers a more intensive form of technical assistance, involving in-depth assessments and long-term assistance to achieve and promote efficient agency operations and officer safety and positive policing practices. The Organizational Assessment program highlights the incredible men and women of law enforcement and the law enforcement field, and the work they do to protect the American public. An Organizational Assessment will provide technical assistance to promote best and/or promising practices in law enforcement to further support and uplift the law enforcement profession. Organizational Assessments are also a resource to agencies seeking in-depth technical assistance to further improve agency operations and officer safety via a collaborative, voluntary engagement.

Although the programs along the continuum are complementary, each serves a distinct level of technical assistance need. Each of the three programs contribute to the prescribed goals by assisting participating law enforcement agencies make small and large-scale improvements and reforms on a proactive, collaborative, and voluntary basis.

Continuum of TA Services

  • Resource Referral
  • Conference Support
  • Meeting Facilitation
  • Training (web-based or in person)
  • Mentoring
  • Executive Consultation
  • Peer Exchanges
  • Policy Assistance
  • Needs Assessment
  • Strategic Planning
  • Facilitated Conversations
  • Data Analysis and Bias Audits
  • Critical Incident After-Action Review
  • Issue-Specific Review of Operations
  • Organizational Assessment
  • Produces Findings and Recommendations
  • Public Reporting
  • On-Going Assistance to Implement Improvements

COPS Office Technical Assistance: Historical Recap

View recap

  • 2022
    Attorney General Garland announced the revamped Collaborative Reform Initiative. By reestablishing the services of the original Collaborative Reform Initiative and Critical Response program while continuing to sustain technical assistance supported through the CRI-TAC, the COPS Office offers a comprehensive continuum of services to law enforcement agencies nationwide—all under the banner of the COPS Office’s flagship TA program, the Collaborative Reform Initiative.
  • 2017 (December)
    COPS Office established the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) as a one-stop shop for law enforcement agencies requesting a variety of high quality, tailored training and technical assistance (TA) resources.
  • 2017 (September)
    At the direction of DOJ leadership, the COPS Office ended the Collaborative Reform and its partner Critical Response program. Upon the closure of the programs, the COPS Office initiated 17 Collaborative Reform sites and 13 Critical Response sites.
  • 2012
    COPS Office established the Critical Response program to provide limited assessments of key processes and procedures, as well as rapid technical assistance such as peer exchanges. The Critical Response program operated in parallel with Collaborative Reform and was designed to provide targeted technical assistance to law enforcement agencies dealing with high profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need.
  • 2011
    COPS Office established the Collaborative Reform Initiative to help state and local law enforcement address issues that undermine public trust. This reform model offered an alternative to more adversarial litigation and enforcement actions.

Intake Process

Law enforcement agencies requesting services under this initiative must be ready to engage fully and establish it as a priority. Law enforcement agencies requesting participation in any Collaborative Reform Initiative program will undergo a standard approach for onboarding.


 

Request Assistance

 

To submit a request under the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services, please complete the following:

Submit Request for Assistance

If you wish to contact the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative team, please email TechnicalAssistance@usdoj.gov or call the COPS Office Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.

Resources

 

Pre-2018 Legacy Sites

  

The below table highlights sites that the COPS Office has conducted TA efforts with through the previous Collaborative Reform and Critical Response programs before 2018. To see active and closed sites under the revamped Collaborative Reform Initiative program, please visit the Organizational Assessment and Critical Response web pages. All CRI-TAC agencies can be found at the CRI-TAC map.

View sites

Site

Legacy Program

Topic(s)

TA Type(s)

Years Active

Link to Deliverable (if applicable)

Baltimore, MD Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Use of Force
  • Investigations
  • Complaint Process
  • Interactions with the Community
  • Community Policing Initiatives
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial Before the Civil Rights Division Opened A Civil Pattern or Practice Investigation)
2014-2015
N/A
Baltimore, MD Police Department
Critical Response
  • Labor Relations
  • Facilitated Discussions
2015
N/A
Calexico, CA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Community Engagement
  • Accountability, Oversight, and Transparency
  • Internal and External Investigations
  • Assessment
  • Technical Assistance
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2015-2017
Chester, PA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Community Relationships
  • Violent Crime
  • Data Collection and Analysis
  • Training and Professional Development
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2016-2017
N/A
Cleveland, OH Division of Police
Critical Response
  • Large-Scale Events
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
  • Consultation
  • Policy Development
2016
Handling Large, Preplanned Events: Recommendations from Preparations for the 2016 National Political Conventions
Commerce City, CO Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Supervision and Management
  • Communication
  • Procedural Justice
  • Internal Affairs
  • Community Policing
  • Recruitment, Hiring, Retention, and Promotional Processes
  • Response to Calls for Service
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2016-2017
N/A
Dearborn, MI Police Department
Critical Response
  • Officer-Involved Shootings
  • Use of Force
  • Community Engagement
  • Implicit Bias
  • Procedural Justice
  • Recruitment and Hiring
  • Assessment
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
  • Consultation
  • Facilitated Discussions
  • Policy Review
2016-2018
Critical Response Technical Assessment Review: Review of the Dearborn Police Department's Policies and Practices Related to Use of Force, Recruiting and Hiring, and Community Partnerships
Detroit, MI Police Department
Critical Response
  • Crime Reduction
  • Youth Engagement
  • Private/Public Partnerships
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
  • Consultation
2014-2015
N/A
Fayetteville, NC Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Use of Force
  • Deadly Force Investigations
  • Community Engagement
  • Oversight and Monitoring of Uses of Force, Traffic Stops, and Pedestrian Stops
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2014-2017
Collaborative Reform Initiative: Assessment Report on the Fayetteville Police Department
Ferguson, MO Police Department
Critical Response
  • Analysis of Stops and Calls for Service
  • Community Engagement
  • Analysis
  • Consultation
2014-2015
N/A
Fort Pierce, FL Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Community Trust and Engagement
  • Vehicle and Pedestrian Stops
  • Use of Force
  • Personnel Practices and Training
  • Organizational Management
  • Partnerships
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2016-2017
N/A
Las Vegas Metropolitan, NV Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Officer-Involved Shootings
  • Deadly Force
  • Officer Safety
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring
2012-2014
Memphis, TN Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Community Policing
  • Use of Force
  • Deadly Force
  • Supervision, Accountability, Learning, Remediation, and Discipline
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2016-2017
N/A
Milwaukee, WI Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Recruitment, Hiring, and Personnel Practices
  • Community Policing
  • Use of Force and Deadly Force
  • Citizen Stop and Search Practices
  • Supervision, Accountability, Learning, Remediation, and Discipline
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2015-2017
N/A
Minneapolis, MN Police Department
Critical Response
  • Mass Demonstrations
  • After Action Review
2016-2017
Maintaining First Amendment Rights and Public Safety in North Minneapolis: An After-Action Assessment of the Police Response to Protests, Demonstrations, and Occupation of the Minneapolis Police Department's Fourth Precinct
New Orleans, LA Police Department Training Academy
Critical Response
  • Analysis
  • Training
  • Analysis of Training Academy/Training
2014-2015
N/A
Newark, NJ Police Department
Critical Response
  • Community Policing
  • Training Development
  • Training Delivery
2017-2019
Community Policing – Improving Police Efficacy and Building Trust – Instructor Development Program
North Charleston, SC Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Community Policing
  • Use of Force
  • Citizen Complaint Process
  • Recruitment, Hiring, Promotions, and Personnel Practices
  • Impact of Enforcement Operations on Historically Marginalized and Discriminated Against Populations
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2016-2017
N/A
Oglala Sioux Tribe, SD
Critical Response
  • Community Policing
  • Officer Wellness
  • Youth Suicides
  • Consultation
  • Strategic Planning
  • Training
  • Storytelling
2016-2017
Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all Related)
Orlando, FL Police Department
Critical Response
  • Mass Casualty
  • After Action Review
2016-2017
Rescue, Response, and Resilience: A Critical Incident Review of the Orlando Public Safety Response to the Attack on the Pulse Nightclub
Pasco, WA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Community Engagement
  • Social Media
  • Procedural Justice
  • Assessment
  • Training
  • Strategic Planning
  • Consultation
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchange
2015-2016
Recommendations on Advancing Community Policing in the Pasco Police Department
Philadelphia, PA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Deadly Force
  • Investigations
  • Use of Force Review Process
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2013-2015
Police Response to Protests in Ferguson, MO
Critical Response
  • Mass Demonstrations
  • After Action Review
2014-2015
After-Action Assessment of the Police Response to the August 2014 Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri
Salinas, CA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Responsiveness and Deployment of Resources
  • Use of Force
  • Communication
  • Community Trust and Engagement
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2015-2017
Collaborative Reform Initiative: An Assessment of the Salinas Police Department
San Bernardino, CA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Mass Casualty
  • After Action Review
2015-2016
Bringing Calm to Chaos: A Critical Incident Review of the San Bernardino Public Safety Response to the December 2, 2015, Terrorist Shooting Incident at the Inland Regional Center
San Diego, CA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Police Misconduct
  • Assessment
2014-2015
Critical Response Technical Assessment Review: Police Accountability - Findings and National Implications of an Assessment of the San Diego Police Department
San Francisco, CA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Use of Force
  • Bias
  • Community Policing
  • Complaint and Disciplinary Processes
  • Recruitment, Hiring, and Personnel Practices
  • Supervision, Accountability, Learning, Remediation, and Discipline
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2016-2017
San Francisco, CA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Leadership
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchange
2016
N/A
Seattle, WA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Data Analysis
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
  • Consultation
2014-2015
N/A
Spokane, WA Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Use of Force
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2013-2017
St. Anthony Village, MN Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Vehicle and Pedestrian Stops
  • Community Policing
  • Recruitment, Hiring, and Promotional Practices
  • Internal and External Complaints
  • Arrest and Traffic Stop Data
  • Performance Evaluations
  • Agreements with Contract Cities
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment (Partial)
2017
N/A
St. Louis County, MO Police Department
Collaborative Reform
  • Fair and Impartial Policing, Community Engagement, and Partnership Development
  • Traffic Stops, Searches, and Frisks
  • Protests and Mass Demonstrations
  • Communications
  • Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring
  • Technical Assistance
  • Assessment
  • Implementation and Monitoring (Partial)
2014-2017
Collaborative Reform Initiative: An Assessment of the St. Louis County Police Department
Standing Rock, ND
Critical Response
  • Mass Demonstrations
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
2016
N/A
Tampa, FL Police Department
Critical Response
  • Bike Stops
  • Crime Analysis
  • Assessment
  • Data Analysis
2015-2016
An Examination of Racial Disparities in Bicycle Stops and Citations Made by the Tampa Police Department: A Technical Assistance Report
Tompkins County, NY Sheriff's Office
Critical Response
  • Barricade Incidents
  • Peer-to-Peer Exchanges
  • Consultation
  • Facilitated Discussions
  • Strategic Planning
  • Development of a Community Policing Plan
2015-2016
N/A
Waterloo, IA Police Department
Critical Response
  • Interactions with Minority Communities
  • Consultation
2014-2015
N/A

 

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