COPS Office leadership and staff will be attending the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 2021 Conference and Exposition from September 11–14 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

At the conference, we are looking forward to participating in workshops and discussions with law enforcement leadership and subject matter experts from across the nation.

You can also find COPS Office staff in the IACP Exposition Hall at booth #3272. Stop by to chat with our team and to pick up the latest community policing resources.

• Sunday, September 12, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, September 13, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 14, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The COPS Office will be presenting at the following workshop sessions:

• Combining Community Policing with Disability Awareness: Understanding Developmental Disabilities to Increase Safe Interactions
  Police officers often receive little or no training about disabilities like psychiatric disabilities (also referred to as mental illnesses, mental health disorders, or behavioral health disorders) and intellectual or developmental disabilities. When a disability is not quickly recognizable, it can endanger both officer and civilian. This danger poses a challenge to law enforcement professionals as they struggle with how to understand and better communicate with victims, suspects, and other community members living with these disabilities. This session will discuss current research on this topic, officer and community safety, ways to confidently and effectively interact with this population, and exciting new developments in the field.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
  Hybrid (virtual & in-person)

• Leadership & Culture: Perspectives from the Field on Improving Hate Crimes Reporting & Investigation
  Hate crimes not only destroy lives and devastate families, but also traumatize the communities in which they occur. These acts make groups suspicious and fearful of one another and reluctant to engage in civic life or work with local law enforcement to investigate and prevent crime. This panel will provide perspectives from the field on improving hate crimes investigation and reporting, while highlighting promising practices and new resources and technical assistance from the COPS Office.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  Hybrid

• Managing Risk: Agency Accreditation and Officer Decertification
  Risk management is a practice that seeks to identify and mitigate risk for both officers and the public. Two risk mitigation strategies law enforcement agencies can employ are agency accreditation and officer decertification. These methods help to ensure accountability and transparency that can enhance confidence and trust in law enforcement among community members and communities as a whole. This panel will focus on managing law enforcement risk, the benefits and processes of agency accreditation, and tracking officer decertifications through the National Decertification Index.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
  Hybrid

• Ready for Launch: The Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program
  Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, are changing the way that daily public safety operations are carried out. It is important that agencies looking to start their own UAS program do so in full compliance with federal laws and regulations. In addition, departments need to be aware of community concerns, including concern for privacy and protection of civil liberties. This panel will discuss the benefits, concerns, and challenges related to implementing a UAS program. We will bring in experts from the field, the DOJ, and the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss the most efficient way to set up a UAS program in the current regulatory environment. We will use the recent publication Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Unmanned Aircraft System [UAS] Program.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
  Hybrid

• Identifying Resources and Technical Assistance for Small, Rural, and Tribal Agencies
  With the changing times and dwindling budgets, the need to find additional funding, resources, and technical assistance is especially important for small, rural, and tribal agencies. This workshop will share with the attendees funding sources that can be adapted to agencies of any size. The panelists will also share cost-effective resources and technical assistance that can be obtained for little to no cost to the agencies, including possible equipment, training, and technical assistance.
  
  

  Tuesday, September 14
  6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  Virtual

Please also check out these COPS Office affiliated workshop sessions:

• Exploring Short- and Long-Term Mental Health and Wellness Following a Major Incident
  Major incidents create trauma in all involved and have the potential to alter the short- and long-term mental health and wellness (MHW) of responding officers and agencies. It is imperative that public safety agencies understand the implications of trauma that can remain in the human body for years, even decades, and establish and maintain MHW programs. This workshop will highlight experiences from leaders of law enforcement agencies who experienced critical incidents; discuss the MHW impacts on officers and the agency as a whole; provide insight into what to potentially expect in the days, weeks, months and years following these incidents; and, identify promising practices in establishing and maintaining MHW programs that have the capacity to address such incidents and keep officers well.
  
  

  Sunday, September 12
  10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  Hybrid

• Filling the Gaps: Reimagining Recruitment, Hiring, Retention, and Training
  Law enforcement agencies across the country are encountering challenges in recruitment, hiring, retention, and training. Small agencies can be an incubator for innovation, agencies serving rural communities must reimagine services, and statewide agencies seek to meet fluctuating demands within dispersed geographic regions. Agencies of all types are challenging the status quo through implementing creative and flexible solutions. This panel will provide perspectives from smaller, rural serving, and statewide agencies who have sought assistance from the COPS Office premier technical assistance center (CRI-TAC). CRI-TAC provides customized technical assistance for law enforcement agencies seeking to enhance their implementation strategies and programs to meet the needs of the field.
  
  

  Sunday, September 12
  9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
  Hybrid

• Hate Crimes: Training Law Enforcement to Bridge the Gap
  Recognizing and reporting hate incidents, addressing the needs of victims, and building community trust are foundations which play a central role in a successful hate crimes investigation. Learn from the perspectives of agencies on the critical importance of training to support law enforcement to recognize, report, and support communities through the negative and harmful impacts of a hate crime. In 2020, the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center partnered with the Arlington, TX, Police Department to support the training development and delivery of Hate Crimes: Recognition & Reporting for law enforcement. The panel will spotlight additional tools and resources to aid law enforcement in support of the recognition and response to hate crimes.
  
  

  Sunday, September 12
  3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
  Hybrid

• Community and the Police: Modern Engagement for Modern Times
  Community engagement practices are critical to building trust and bridging relationships for effective public safety outcomes. Tailoring engagement to the unique history and relationships with communities is foundational to success. Hear about the evolution of community engagement practices from a diverse panel of proactive leaders implementing creative engagement solutions from small, mid-size and large police departments supported in their efforts by the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  Hybrid

• Physical and Emotional Impacts: Officer Trauma in Tumultuous Times
  The current environment in which officers are policing has been described as the perfect storm of stressors. Civil unrest following the death of George Floyd and the Capitol attack have been marked by intense levels of violence, divisive politics, and calls for defunding or eliminating policing. Even more troubling, and unique to current events, is the rise in physical targeting of officers, patrol vehicles, personal residences, and property, as well as virtual targeting through posting personal information online and cyber threats. This workshop present a discussion from experts on ways to foster a culture that addresses trauma and its impact on officer physical and mental wellness as an integral part of fair policing during extraordinary stress and provocation.
  
  

  Monday, September 13
  1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
  Hybrid

Tweet