The Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) program provides critical and tailored technical assistance resources to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies on a wide variety of topics. It features a “by the field, for the field” approach while delivering individualized technical assistance using leading experts in a range of public safety, crime reduction, and community policing topics. CRI-TAC is a public service and offered at no-cost to your agency.

 
 
 
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  • "The assistance was timely, forward thinking, progressive, and deeply appreciated."
    - Feedback received through the CRI-TAC Customer Satisfaction Survey
 

CRI-TAC Promo Video

 

Request Technical Assistance

To help us best serve you, please include the following information: 1) Name of your agency 2) Number of sworn officers 3) Size of population served 4) Topic and service requested 5) Contact information

Technical assistance requests involving matters where there are active state, local, or federal investigations pending, or that are the subject or potential subject of litigation, may not be approved. These include, but are not limited to, requests for after-action assessments or critical incident reviews.

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.

 

"This is not similar to other federal programs that bog down [an agency] in paperwork and bureaucracy.
This is truly a "where the rubber meets the road" program that provides inputs and guidance/supports where it is locally needed and necessary."

- Feedback received through the CRI-TAC Customer Satisfaction Survey
 
 

Areas of Assistance

 

Technical assistance encompasses a host of methods including training, peer-to-peer consultation, analysis, coaching, and strategic planning. Participating agencies identify areas of assistance to best suit their local needs, which may include the following:

General Topics
  • Interview and Interrogation
  • Leadership
  • Management and Supervision
  • Mass Demonstration Response (see example case study)
  • Mass Violence Response
  • Mentoring
  • Procedural Justice
  • Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention (see example case study)
  • Report Writing
  • School and Campus Safety (see example case study)
  • Shared Service Models
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Strategic Planning
  • Technology
  • Traffic Safety
  • Unhoused Populations
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Violent Crime Reduction and Prevention
  • Youth Engagement
Sheriff Topics

In addition to the General Topics, areas include:

  • Agency and Officer Safety and Wellness
  • Border Security
  • Civil Process
  • Corrections/Jail Operations
  • Court Security
  • Interdiction Teams
  • Prisoner Transport
  • Technology

More Information on Sheriff Specific Assistance

Tribal Topics

In addition to the General Topics, areas include:

  • Child Abuse
  • Community Policing and Problem Solving in a Tribal Setting
  • CPTED in a Tribal Setting
  • Crime Scene Processing
  • Cross-Deputization and Regional Partnerships (including Public Law 280 considerations)
  • Domestic Violence in Tribal Communities
  • Drug Endangered Children in a Tribal Setting
  • Drug Identification and Response
  • Evidence Collection and Storage
  • Hiring and Recruitment of Native American Officers
  • Human Trafficking in Indian Country
  • Missing or murdered Indigenous peoples response (training, protocols, engagement)
  • School/Campus Safety in Tribal Communities
  • Security and Law Enforcement Partnerships
  • Sexual Assault in Tribal Communities
  • Tribal Law Enforcement Leadership (see example case study)
  • Tribal Youth Partnerships

More Information on Tribal Specfic Assistance

Services

 

CRI-TAC staff will work with you to provide a customized solution. Types of services the CRI-TAC can provide include:

  • Resource Referral
    Toolkits, reports, and other relevant publications
  • Web-based Training
    Recorded webinars and live online training
  • In-person Training
    Existing and customized on-site training
  • Virtual Mentoring
    Personnel from the requesting agency will be connected with subject matter experts to share information and promising practices via phone or video conference call.
  • Meeting Facilitation
    Subject matter experts will assist in facilitating meetings among agency members and other public and private sector stakeholders
  • On-site Consulting
    Subject matter experts visit the requesting agency to collaborate with agency leaders and provide guidance on best practices and tailored solutions
  • Policy Assistance
    Subject matter experts will assist in reviewing current or developing new policies
  • Conference Support
  • Mass Demonstration Rapid Response Team (MDRRT)
    Provides resources, tools, strategies, and information to problem-solve and maximize communications between the agency and community when faced with a mass demonstration
 

"The subject matter experts were the best in the nation! Fantastic instructors, flexible and responsive.
They bring years of experience to the table and were fantastic resources."

- Feedback received through the CRI-TAC Customer Satisfaction Survey
 
 

Trainings

CRI-TAC is pleased to offer the following CRI-TAC developed trainings upon request:

  • Take Action: Make the R.I.G.H.T. Choice and Intervene trains, encourages, and empowers law enforcement personnel to actively intervene when needed to prevent colleagues from committing policy or procedure mistakes or unprofessional, unethical, or criminal conduct. Intervening is critical for officer safety and wellness and community trust. This curriculum was developed for law enforcement officers of all ranks and experience, including basic entry-level recruits. This training can be delivered as an 8 hour direct or a 16 hour train the trainer.
  • Hate Crimes: Recognition and Reporting enhances law enforcement’s response and the uniform patrol officer’s ability to recognize and report a hate crime. This includes addressing victim needs, reporting incidents, and building community trust. This curriculum was developed primarily for uniformed law enforcement officers (e.g., police, sheriff deputies, troopers, agents, etc.) and first line supervisors. This training can be delivered as an 8 hour direct or a 16 hour train the trainer.
  • Volunteer Engagement for American Indian and Alaska Native Missing Person Cases prepares and introduces the basic elements and practices for creating a volunteer engagement program to support law enforcement and communities in responding to emergent missing person cases. This training program includes two components: (1) Leadership Kick-Off Meeting is a 90-minute briefing that assists in preparing and gaining agency buy-in for the 8-hour volunteer engagement program training. This briefing is designed to be delivered virtually or in person. (2) Volunteer Engagement for American Indian and Alaska Native Missing Person Cases is an 8-hour training that introduces the practices and strategy for developing, implementing, and maintaining a volunteer engagement program. This training can be delivered in person or virtually.

These trainings are provided at no cost to your agency through CRI-TAC. To request a training, please submit a request.

 

CRI-TAC Resources


COVID-19 Specific Resources
Webinar Recordings

CRI-TAC Metrics

 
 
Status
# Sites
 
 
Technical Assistance In Progress
62
 
 
Technical Assistance Completed
854
 
 
Total
916
 
 

Map of CRI-TAC Sites


FAQs


Who can request assistance?

All requests must be received from the chief executive of a law enforcement agency or with expressed authorization from the chief executive of the law enforcement agency. Requesting agencies do not need to be a member of the IACP or any partnering organization to be considered for technical assistance services. Requesting agencies should be from a state, local, county, tribal, campus, or territorial law enforcement agency.

Are other services provided beyond those already described?

The CRI-TAC understands that each technical assistance request is unique and are open to exploring other services should specific needs arise. Please note this is not a grant program and certain costs cannot be supported through CRI-TAC project to include agency personnel and equipment needs.

Does the CRI-TAC provide after-action or critical incident reviews?

As a matter of standard practice, technical assistance requests involving matters where there are active state, local, or federal investigations pending, or that are the subject or potential subject of litigation, are unlikely to be approved. These may include, but are not limited to, requests for after-action assessments or critical incident reviews.

For these types of requests, please see the COPS Office Critical Response program.

What happens after I submit a request?
  • Upon receipt, CRI-TAC staff will contact you to schedule a screening call, discuss the process, and obtain additional pertinent information.
  • From there, an intake call is scheduled with CRI-TAC staff and partners. This call gives you the opportunity to discuss your technical assistance needs in detail including your vision for the goals and outcomes of the technical assistance.
  • Post intake, we will develop a formal technical assistance request for review and approval.
  • Once your request is approved, we will develop a technical assistance work plan. This work plan includes a detailed description of the technical assistance, SMEs, and staff assigned to your project. The work plan is subject to your review, input, and approval before we move forward to begin delivering technical assistance.
  • Upon your approval of the work plan, we will initiate the technical assistance delivery. Throughout delivery, we will continue to ensure we are meeting your needs with regular communication.

Partnering Organizations

 
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"The staff is outstanding and goes above and beyond for the local and county agencies they serve. They truly understand their market and their "customers" and have made this experience quite enjoyable!"
- Feedback received through the CRI-TAC Customer Satisfaction Survey
 
 

For any press inquiries, please contact the COPS Office Communications Division at (202) 514-9079 or cops.office.public.affairs@usdoj.gov