SECTION IV: CONCLUSION
Taken as a whole, the results of the national survey on officer safety highlight the importance of relying on data to inform training priorities. For example, motor vehicle collisions consistently ranked among the highest in both perceived risk and actual risk to officer safety, yet this area did not receive a commensurate level of reported in-service training or perceived need for future training. This suggests that training priorities can become misaligned with the most serious officer safety risks. Similarly, training priorities based solely on perceived risks can become misaligned with actual risks, as was the case with assaults (excluding gunshot wound or edged weapon).
The Department of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, through the VALOR Initiative, continue to aid agencies in developing and delivering needed training related to assaults on officers, traffic safety, and other areas. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, has funded a variety of different training programs, identified below:
VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Training and Technical Assistance Program (VALOR Program)
This training and technical assistance program delivers current, dynamic classroom and web-based trainings that focus on recognizing indicators of dangerous situations, applying diffusing techniques, implementing casualty care and rescue tactics, emphasizing professional policing standards, and improving wellness and resilience. Additional information on the program, online training, and other resources are available on the VALOR Program website.
Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention Training Program
The Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention Training Program will develop and deliver a national training and technical assistance program focused on increasing awareness and prevention of law enforcement suicide. Training will be delivered to state, local, and tribal line officers, executives, and middle management at no cost to them and will include both in-person and online sessions. Additional information on this program can be found here.
Destination Zero – Officer Safety and Wellness Recognition Program
This recognition and promising practices program promotes awareness and highlights innovative and promising safety and wellness programs that could serve as models for law enforcement agencies seeking to implement similar programs. Destination Zero also recognizes the agencies that created them. Additional information on the program is available on the Destination Zero program website.
Law Enforcement Agency and Officer Resilience Training Program
This training and technical assistance program identifies, develops, implements, and analyzes the effectiveness of resiliency concepts and skills taught within a law enforcement agency. The goal is to build more resilient officers and agencies by enhancing knowledge and skills in resiliency concepts and practices to strengthen their resolve during and in the aftermath of events such as critical incidents, terrorist incidents, active shooter events, officer-involved shootings, line-of-duty deaths, and repeated exposure to traumatic events. Additional information on this program can be found here.
Law Enforcement and Community: Crisis Intervention Training Model Program
This training and technical assistance program delivers the already-developed BJA crisis intervention training (CIT) model to law enforcement agencies, along with a suite of resources and technical assistance. The goal is to improve law enforcement's response and interaction with individuals with mental illness, thereby increasing officer and community safety. Additional information on this program can be found here.
National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program
The National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program (NLERSP) is an evidence-based and data-driven program which provides training and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal law enforcement with the goal of reducing the number of officers injured or killed on the nation’s roadways. The NLERSP provides a suite of no-cost, in-person training courses for executives, patrol officers, and trainers. Additionally, the NLERSP provides customized technical assistance (TA) to agencies to improve their existing training, policies, procedures, and programs related to law enforcement roadway safety. This assistance can include review and development of agency policies on roadway-related issues, review and assessment of an agency’s roadway safety training, assisting with the replication of best practices in agencies, and/or providing research translation services related to roadway safety research. The program will also develop a traffic safety education and awareness campaign for agencies and will use the VALOR Initiative network as a way to deliver the campaign and promote training and resources.