COPS Training Portal

Although the past several decades have seen a steady decrease in violent crime statistics, homicides and violent crimes continue to have a devastating impact on many of our nation's communities. With long-term social implications and staggering economic consequences, even minimal levels of violent crime diminish the quality of life in affected communities. In response, homicide and violent crime reduction (HVR) remains a top priority for police agencies throughout the nation. The challenge is addressing violent crime with effective interventions and countermeasures. Instead of guessing or speculating on which HVR strategies work best, many agencies are turning to evidence-based policing practices (EBPP) to address the unique needs of the communities they serve.

Applied Evidence-Based Policing Practices: Homicide and Violent Crime Reduction is designed as a rapid eLearn course that provides an overview of the concept of evidence-based policing and examples of practices that have been shown to reduce homicides and violent crime. Crafted with all levels of police practitioners in mind, this course bridges the gap between research and practice. 

On-screen text, videos and narration in a user-friendly eLearn environment allows participants to start, stop and resume the training based on their schedules. Participants should expect to spend approximately 2 - 4 hours exploring the resources provided in this dynamic and timely course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WX-K022 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Audience:

This course is ideal for law enforcement managers and decision makers, including but not limited to agency heads, directors, command staff, managers, and supervisors in agencies of all sizes. However, the content is also applicable to all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

How Tribes can "TAP" into Critical Crime Data: COPS Funding in Action
Intelligence-Led Community Policing, Community Prosecution, and Community Partnerships
Las Vegas After-Action Assessment: Lessons Learned from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Ambush Incident
Managing the Group Violence Intervention: Using Shooting Scorecards to Track Group Violence
The Integration of Crime Analysis into Patrol Work: A Guidebook
U.S. Attorney General's Summit on Violent Crime: Summary of Key Factors, Promising Strategies and Additional Steps

Comprised of four modules, the course explores partnerships, problem solving and organizational transformation as they relate to specific issues and challenges facing today's law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve.  As such it is a valuable and appropriate training opportunity for a wide variety of law enforcement and public-safety professionals, ranging from new hires to experienced personnel, as well as community leaders, business owners and other community stakeholders.

Utilizing a blended learning approach, Community Policing Defined prompts users to actively navigate through the course's comprehensive content which includes on-screen text, graphics and narration. This design feature allows adult learners the flexibility to determine their own pace and sequence for completing the course.  Although Community Policing Defined requires a minimum of 4 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend between 8 and 12 hours to complete the course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2009-RM-WX-K001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources
Building Relationships of Trust: Moving to Implementation
Community Policing in the New Economy
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Using Community Policing to Create a "Wow" Department
Law Enforcement Spotlight: Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related) - The Intersection of Cultural Beliefs and Community Policing with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety
Rank and File: Leaders in Building Trust and Community
State Police and Community Policing
The COPS Office: 20 Years of Community Oriented Policing

This Ethical Considerations for Asset Forfeiture Course is provided by the Department of Justice. Asset forfeiture is an important and vital law enforcement tool.   It helps strengthen cases, weaken or dismantle criminal enterprises, and return assets to victims of crimes.  But like all tools, law enforcement and prosecuting authorities must use it appropriately.  The purpose of this training is to ensure a command of when and how to properly seize assets for federal forfeiture so that you can protect the rights of the public while also protecting your case and yourself.  Misusing asset forfeiture laws and ignoring asset forfeiture policies can have serious implications.

Module 1 – Overview and Purposes of Asset Forfeiture

This module discusses some of the numerous ways that asset forfeiture fulfills the mission of law enforcement.  

Module 2 – Concerns about Asset Forfeiture

This module discusses three criticisms of forfeiture: corruption, fairness, and a lack of accountability. 

Module 3 – Asset Forfeiture Best Practices

This module provides some best practices when considering the seizure of assets.

Module 4 – Federal and State Cooperation

This module discusses how state and local law enforcement can cooperate with their Federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure a successful and proper seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Module 5 – Asset Forfeiture Resources

For over three decades, the principles of community policing have been a driving force in American law enforcement.  Yet for all of its past success, community policing may never have been as vital to law enforcement and the well being of our communities as it is today.  New Perspectives on Community Policing is a free, web-based training course that examines how change, emerging issues, and threats are necessitating a reinvigorated commitment to the key components of community policing:  community partnerships, organizational transformation, and problem solving. 

The course introduces this new perspective on community policing and offers an overview of the dramatic shifts and challenges that are faced by law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. New Perspectives on Community Policing also offers problem-solving tools, examples of successful police and community partnerships, and numerous community-policing resources.

New Perspectives on Community Policing has been developed as a modular online training that will require an absolute minimum of 4 hours to complete. However its technology-enhanced design allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules and the demands of the day. Flexible, interactive, and relevant, the course offers participants an outstanding opportunity to gain new insights on community policing and its role in today's complex world.  It is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

This tuition-free online training was a joint partnership between the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and the Western Community Policing Institute (WCPI), and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2008-CK-WX-K003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources

Answering the Call to Mentor: 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement
Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 1. How to Increase Cultural Understanding
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 2. How to Serve Diverse Communities
Recommendations on Advancing Community Policing in the Pasco Police Department

School Resource Officers (SROs) are essential to achieve safer schools.  SROs and school administrators need training on school climate: school physical and learning environments, relationships, engagement, and safety.  

Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices (P5) is an interactive online course designed to provide participants with an innovative school climate model and school climate enhancement practices.  The course covers hot topics on:

• Environmental design, focused on crime prevention and wellness promotion
• Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) 
• Adolescent brain and behavioral development 
• Implicit bias and microaggressions
• Differentiated responding to discipline for SROs vs. school administrators 

 The course uses interactive quizzes, matching activities, and an action plan process to actualize school climate change.  

Related Resources

Community Oriented Policing Services. "Community Partnerships."

Center for Problem-Oriented Policing

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes how prenatal substance exposure has the potential to cause a variety of physical and developmental challenges for Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their lives. You will be able to recognize the part you play in identifying children who are at risk, begin the earliest possible intervention even while still in utero, and understand your ability to change the trajectory of the child's life. Intervention begins by starting a conversation using interviewing techniques and providing resources and sharing information with community partners.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Supporting Your Mission: An Introduction to the National Police Foundation’s Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss Reporting System is an interactive online course designed to provide participants with a basic awareness and understanding of the National Police Foundation’s LEO Near Miss reporting system funded by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).  LEO Near Miss is designed to save lives. It is a web-based system that allows law enforcement officers a means to anonymously share their personal experiences surviving near miss events so that other officers may apply the lessons learned when facing similar situations. 

In this introductory course, participants explore the impact and importance of near miss reporting and discover ways in which both individual law enforcement officers and entire organizations can use the system to help ensure their safety, and the safety of fellow officers. The course features video interviews with law enforcement practitioners currently engaged in near miss reporting, as well as examples of the types of near miss reports published by the National Police Foundation. It provides an overview of the purpose, features and benefits of using the system, which is accessed via the website leonearmiss.org.

This tuition-free online training was developed about the National Police Foundation’s LEO Near Miss reporting system by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes the long-term impact and needs of Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and into their adulthood.  You will learn how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as growing up in households where substance use and drug activity are present impacts children long-term including cognitive deficits, emotional risks, high-risk behavior, and health problems.  The course also addresses the importance of early intervention and building resilience that can change the trajectory of a child’s life and help to break the multigenerational cycle of substance abuse.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

An Introduction to SRO Programs is a training program that directly supports the mission of the National Association of School Resource Officers to provide the “highest quality of training to school-based law enforcement officers.” This program provides an overview of school-based law enforcement programs and illuminates the critical need for further SRO training.

An Introduction to SRO Programs highlights the unique roles and responsibilities of School Resource Officers (SROs), explores the benefits and challenges of SRO programs, including stakeholder concerns, and provides practical guidance on best practices that support effective use of SROs in our nation’s schools.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Association of School Resource Officers and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018CWXK003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In the United States, schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million children . Schools are expected to keep children safe every day, but during traumatic events, this objective becomes the primary focus of teachers, administrators, and school staff members. 

Reunification is the process of reuniting children with their parents or guardians after an emergency or disastrous event at their school. In these situations, a traditional student release process is unsafe and often lacks the necessary organization. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, the reunification of students with their primary caregivers is crucial for the reestablishment of social support after a traumatic event, and is often the only mental health crisis intervention needed . A reunification plan is part of a comprehensive emergency plan to ensure the safety of the whole school community. 

This training is designed to help educational stakeholders develop and implement a school reunification plan. Upon completion of this training, learners will be able to: 

• Identify emergency situations that require a reunification plan

• Define terminology associated with a reunification plan

• Define the purpose and components of a reunification plan

• Determine the purpose and components of a response map, and

• Identify the roles required in a reunification plan

Participants should expect to spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Comprised of four modules, the course explores partnerships, problem solving and organizational transformation as they relate to specific issues and challenges facing today's law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve.  As such it is a valuable and appropriate training opportunity for a wide variety of law enforcement and public-safety professionals, ranging from new hires to experienced personnel, as well as community leaders, business owners and other community stakeholders.

Utilizing a blended learning approach, Community Policing Defined prompts users to actively navigate through the course's comprehensive content which includes on-screen text, graphics and narration. This design feature allows adult learners the flexibility to determine their own pace and sequence for completing the course.  Although Community Policing Defined requires a minimum of 4 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend between 8 and 12 hours to complete the course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2009-RM-WX-K001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources
Building Relationships of Trust: Moving to Implementation
Community Policing in the New Economy
Kalamazoo, Michigan: Using Community Policing to Create a "Wow" Department
Law Enforcement Spotlight: Mitakuye Oyasin (We are all related) - The Intersection of Cultural Beliefs and Community Policing with the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety
Rank and File: Leaders in Building Trust and Community
State Police and Community Policing
The COPS Office: 20 Years of Community Oriented Policing

Crime Reduction: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies is an interactive online course designed to provide participants with an overview of best practices for crime reduction, including guidelines for implementing an organizational model for crime reduction at all levels within a police department. The course offers useful strategies for problem solving in order to develop immediate, short-term, and long-term responses to crime within a community. The guidance provided in this course is not intended to be prescriptive; rather, it is designed to be adaptable and generally applicable to law enforcement practitioners.

Drug Identification: Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants is an interactive course in a series of Drug Identification training modules. This course discusses the current trends, side effects, and physiological conditions of commonly abused depressants, inhalants, sedatives, and anti-depressants. Key topics include: muscle relaxers, GHB, solvents, interactions with alcohol, and the growing use among younger populations.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 1 hour reviewing the content and resources in this course. This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

The Opioid Crisis in America is an interactive two-part course in a series of Drug Identification training modules. This course provides an overview of the chemical and legal classification of opioids and examines the national epidemic of opioid abuse. It provides key information and safety measures law enforcement and criminal justice providers should know when responding to opioid related events. Community response and other evidence-based practices are also discussed.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 2 hours reviewing the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WX-K007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight is a thought-provoking eLearn course that explores the practice of decision making and the ethical principles that support effective policing. In one of its most impactful and rewarding endeavors to date, VCPI partnered with the USDOJ, COPS Office to create the Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight program. As part of this larger initiative, this course stresses that police ethics are not just an after-thought or a means of discouraging bad behavior. Instead, ethics are a controlling insight that inform and guide police practitioners from an internal, personal capacity.This innovative eLearn course invites participants to join a 2500 year-old conversation on ethical decision making while exploring realistic, modern day challenges faced by policing professionals.

Recognizing that for policing professionals, public trust, integrity, and liability hinge on each and every decision, this is crafted as a concise and relevant course addressing the realities of policing in the 21st century.  Designed with the practitioner in mind, Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight includes on-screen text, videos, and narration in a user-friendly eLearn environment that allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules.  Although it requires a minimum of 2 hours of uninterrupted run-time, participants should expect to spend approximately 4 hours completing this dynamic and timely course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported Cooperative Agreement 2012-Ck-WX-K011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

COPS Evaluation Brief No. 3: Creating a Culture of Integrity
Crime Prevention Research Review No. 10: Legitimacy in Policing
Racial Reconciliation, Truth-Telling, and Police Legitimacy
"That's Not Fair!" Policing and Perceptions of Fairness
The Case for Procedural Justice: Fairness as a Crime Prevention Tool
The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1

New Perspectives on Community Policing is a free, web-based training course that provides an overview of the dramatic shifts and challenges faced by law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. It offers problem-solving tools, examples of successful police and community partnerships, and numerous community-policing resources.

New Perspectives on Community Policing has been developed as a modular online training that will require an absolute minimum of 4 hours to complete. However its technology-enhanced design allows participants to start, stop, and resume the training based on their schedules and the demands of the day. Flexible, interactive, and relevant, the course offers participants an outstanding opportunity to gain new insights on community policing and its role in today's complex world.  It is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

This tuition-free online training was a joint partnership between the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and the Western Community Policing Institute (WCPI), and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2008-CK-WX-K003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Related COPS Resources

Answering the Call to Mentor: 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement
Engaging Police in Immigrant Communities
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 1. How to Increase Cultural Understanding
Police Perspectives: Building Trust in a Diverse Nation - No. 2. How to Serve Diverse Communities
Recommendations on Advancing Community Policing in the Pasco Police Department

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes how postnatal exposure to an environment where there is substance use and drug activity affects Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and entire life. You will be able to recognize when a child is impacted and intervene as early as possible to maximize the child’s potential outcomes. This course also explains how to use promising practices and DEC Protocols to sustain ongoing change and improve DEC outcomes.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Problem-Oriented Policing: The SARA Model delivers a comprehensive, blended-learning training program designed to provide participants with an overview and broad familiarization with key concepts and principles of one approach to problem-oriented policing in the 21^st century.

Participants should expect to spend approximately 2-4 hours exploring the content and resources in this course.

This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

This course is ideal for all law enforcement and criminal justice professionals, as well as any community-policing stakeholders.

Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps
Enhancing the Problem-Solving Capacity of Crime Analysis Units
Implementing Responses to Problems
Rank and File: Reflections on Emerging Issues in Law Enforcement
Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guide Book for Law Enforcement
Using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in Problem Solving

Course Time: Approximately 30 to 45 minutes including the pre and post tests.

Course Description: This course describes the long-term impact and needs of Drug Endangered Children (DEC) throughout their childhood and into their adulthood.  You will learn how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as growing up in households where substance use and drug activity are present impacts children long-term including cognitive deficits, emotional risks, high-risk behavior, and health problems.  The course also addresses the importance of early intervention and building resilience that can change the trajectory of a child’s life and help to break the multigenerational cycle of substance abuse.

Target Audience: Law enforcement, child welfare, medical, legal, education and first responders.

For more information on Drug Endangered Children, please contact National DEC

Course Overview: After-Action Review and Reporting: An Introduction, an eLearning course, provides an overview of after-action review and reporting processes, as applied within a law enforcement organization following incidents ranging from common, everyday situations to complex, high-impact, critical incidents.

The application of after-action reviews is an effective organizational learning tool and powerful community policing strategy. This course equips law enforcement personnel with a basic understanding of when and in what circumstances an after-action may be best utilized, as well as how to conduct impactful reviews that result in written reports, including guidance on ways to organize, document, and communicate the findings of an after-action review. Although designed specifically for first line supervisors or officers in charge of conducting/overseeing the after-action process within an organization, this course benefits all local, state, and tribal law enforcement personnel, regardless of rank or position. Non-law enforcement community stakeholders may enhance their awareness of community policing efforts by taking this course. Learners may access and utilize an assortment of multimedia resources as needed in the future.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the basic principles of community policing as they relate to the after-action process
• Discover what makes after-actions a credible learning tool for law enforcement
• Explore the role of after-actions in identifying and addressing wellness issues stemming from critical incidents
• Explore the dynamic nature of the after-action review process
• Identify ways to determine the type of review to conduct
• Distinguish informal reviews from formal reviews, and the circumstances in which either may be most appropriate
• Describe the leader or supervisor’s role in guiding and institutionalizing the process
• Discover essential qualifications for an independent review team or consultant
• Identify the role of comprehensive, well-written reports in the after-action review process
• Examine the fundamental information typically included in written after-action reports
• Explore the National Police Foundation’s online library of published Incident Reviews

Target Audience: Public safety practitioners, first line supervisors or officers, local, state, and tribal law enforcement personnel, and non-law enforcement community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WXK-003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-329
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Campus Safety Training Program: Introduction to Behavioral Intervention Teams, an eLearning course, provides an overview of the function of a Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) within a school environment. Main topics include identifying the role and purpose of a BIT, reviewing key terminology, and exploring strategies to implement a BIT in any school.  Additionally, the course outlines the school resource officer’s role in a BIT.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), U.S. Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice funded the National Policing Institute to implement a project in 2015 to track incidents of averted school violence on a national level. As of April 2018, 51 reports had been filed, although it is suspected that many more incidents have gone unreported. An “averted incident” is defined as a planned violent attack on school grounds that is prevented before injury or loss of life has occurred. In tracking these incidents, five key actions have been identified to improve school safety, ranging from well-defined and rehearsed active shooter plans to focused plans promoting personal relationships with students. The development and consistent involvement of a multi-functional case-management team for review of concerning behavior plays a critical role in improving school safety. These teams, commonly referred to as Behavioral Intervention Teams, are the focus of this introductory eLearning course.

Campus safety stakeholders benefit from examining foundational components and appropriate applications of a BIT in effort to prevent school violence.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the role and purpose of a BIT
• Define terminology associated with the BIT
• Identify ways to implement a BIT in any school
• Discuss the role of a school resource officer in a BIT

Target Audience: School personnel, law enforcement, including school resource officers and campus safety professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-346
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Campus Safety Training Program: School Reunification, an eLearning course, provides an overview of the student reunification process. In addition to reviewing the various types of situations that require reunification and key reunification terminology, the course also explores roles required for successful reunification and provides recommendations for training stakeholders and practicing a reunification plan.

In the United States, schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million children. Schools are expected to keep children safe every day, but during traumatic events, this objective becomes the primary focus of teachers, administrators, and school staff members.

Reunification occurs when children are reunited with their parents or guardians after an emergency or disastrous event at their school. In these situations, a traditional student release process is unsafe and often lacks necessary organization. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, the reunification of students with their primary caregivers is crucial for the reestablishment of social support after a traumatic event and is often the only mental health crisis intervention needed. A comprehensive emergency plan includes a reunification plan to ensure the safety of the whole school community.

This course provides educational stakeholders with a structure to develop and implement a school reunification plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify emergency situations that require a reunification plan
• Define terminology associated with a reunification plan
• Define the purpose and components of a reunification plan
• Determine the purpose and components of a response map
• Identify the roles required in a reunification plan

Target Audience: School administrators, school personnel, law enforcement, school resource officers, and campus safety professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-341
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Community Policing Defined, an eLearning course, provides learners with a basic awareness and understanding of the fundamental principles and best practices of community policing. This course examines practical problem-solving methodologies and applies best practices of community policing.

Comprised of four modules, the topics explore partnerships, problem solving, and organizational transformation as they relate to specific issues and challenges facing today's law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve. Based on the Department of Justice, COPS Office publication of the same name, Community Policing Defined not only describes the practice of community policing, but also examines how it can be effectively applied.

Through this course, learners examine the interconnectedness of Problem-Oriented Policing, the SARA model, and the Crime Triangle.

Learning Objectives:

• Define community policing
• Describe the fundamental principles of community policing
• Examine practical problem-solving methodologies, including the SARA model
• Interpret best practices of community policing
• Identify examples of ways in which a law enforcement agency can interact, partner, and work closely with members of the community in order to achieve a high level of community satisfaction and agency success
• Examine the tangible means by which to build or improve the relationship between their law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve
• Define collaborative partnerships utilized in community policing
• Examine the importance of developing and maintaining long-term positive relationships with the community
• Identify examples of effective collaborative partnerships
• Define the organizational transformation component of community policing
• Demonstrate relevance of organizational transformation to building partnerships and practicing problem solving
• Examine organizational transformation in terms of culture, structures, and function
• Consider the value of leadership and training as a catalyst for organizational transformation
• Define the problem solving component of community policing
• Explore Problem-Oriented Policing and its role in effective problem solving
• Consider the problem solving processes and methodologies of the SARA model
• Consider the role of the Crime Triangle (Problem Analysis Triangle) as a complementary tool to the SARA model

Target Audience: Law enforcement, public safety professionals, community leaders, business owners, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2009-RM-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test. 

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-322
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Contemporary Approaches for Responding Effectively to Community-Defined Disorder (CARE CDD) consists of two separate eLearning courses, one designed for law enforcement practitioners and one geared specifically for executives, that examine successful initiatives around the country. These initiatives include homeless outreach teams, mental health crisis intervention, domestic abuse harm reduction, substance use disorder treatment, gang violence prevention, and more—demonstrating a “community care” framework for responding effectively to a variety of disorder and crime problems. The courses examine the role of law enforcement officers and agencies in developing, implementing, sustaining, and evaluating these types of community-based problem-solving strategies. 

Public safety agencies recognize that many types of harm can affect the health of a community—not just the major crime incidents that dominate headlines, but also the everyday disorder problems that negatively impact community members and generate frequent calls for service. In many cases, past efforts to manage disorder have focused on enforcement actions targeting low-level offenses. However, research and practice indicate that aggressive, enforcement-focused order maintenance strategies are ineffective and can undermine relationships between law enforcement and community members.  

Increasingly, public safety professionals recognize the need for innovative problem solving to address disorder and crime problems, which occur disproportionately in under-resourced neighborhoods and are often rooted in economic and social inequities. Responding to complex problems requires law enforcement to form partnerships with community stakeholders and other agencies to enact multi-faceted initiatives. Such efforts represent a fundamental change in the way we think about public safety, emphasizing the collaborative role of police and other law enforcement practitioners as caretakers of their communities.  

To help connect principles to practice, a series of field-driven video case briefings provides insight on innovative practices that law enforcement practitioners and executives can apply in their own communities. The case studies feature interviews with subject matters experts currently engaged in community-oriented programs to manage disorder problems in their jurisdictions.  

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how the principles and practices of community policing can be applied to address community-defined disorder
• Describe the role of law enforcement in managing community-defined disorder
• Differentiate between varying approaches to order maintenance
• Identify the principles of community policing
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community
• Apply problem-solving methods to identify, define, and respond to community-defined disorder problems
• Describe the benefits of proactive, collaborative problem solving
• Explain how to identify and define disorder problems that require intervention
• Identify strategies for developing effective responses to disorder problems
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community
• Identify collaboration and communication strategies to support effective problem solving  
• List benefits of using a collaborative model to improve quality of life in the community
• Explain how to establish a community of practice
• Identify structures to promote collaboration among organization members
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community
• Describe how problem-solving initiatives to address disorder can be sustained for long-term success 
• Identify factors that may influence the sustainability of problem-solving initiatives
• Describe appropriate methods for evaluating the success of problem-solving initiatives
• Explain the role of discretion when managing disorder in the community
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community

Target Audience: This course is designed as a professional development program for law enforcement practitioners representing agencies of all sizes and demographics. This course may also be a valuable tool for non-law-enforcement community stakeholders to enhance their awareness of law enforcement efforts.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-018 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Length of Each Course: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-386
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Crime Reduction: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies, an eLearning course, offers current guidance on effective enforcement and policing strategies aimed at crime reduction. The course also explores the application of crime prevention as a means of actively interdicting and preventing crime in our nation’s communities.

To help connect principles to practice, this course highlights crime reduction initiatives undertaken by law enforcement agencies around the country, demonstrating how policing strategies can be applied in varying contexts. Through video interviews and case studies, each module presents real-world examples to illustrate the strategies presented in the course. The course benefits law enforcement personnel of all assignments, representing agencies of all sizes and demographics, who play a role in crime reduction. Non-law enforcement community stakeholders may use this content to enhance their awareness of crime reduction efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify challenges associated with crime reduction
• Identify ways in which police organizational structures contribute to crime reduction efforts
• Distinguish between immediate, short-term, and long-term strategies to reduce crime
• Recognize the stages of the SARA model
• Distinguish between types of crime patterns
• Apply the problem analysis triangle to an authentic crime scenario
• Analyze responses to crime patterns
• Identify situational crime prevention techniques to address a long-term crime problem scenario
• Analyze offender-focused strategies used as part of a focused-deterrence approach to crime reduction
• Identify community-oriented strategies to reduce crime through a proactive, preventive approach

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel and non-law enforcement community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-335
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, explores commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants. The other courses in this series include Stimulants, The Opioid Crisis in America, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

As reported by the US Surgeon General in 2015, 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older reported misusing sedatives in the past year. Furthermore, 6.1 million individuals reported misusing tranquilizers such as Xanax®. Especially concerning, many of these individuals mix sedatives and/or tranquilizers with alcohol, a depressant in its own right. This risky behavior increases the potential for overdose which can occur when critical areas in the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature stop functioning.

The learning modules explore current trends relating to these substances, examine side effects and symptoms of abuse, discuss the synergistic effects of depressants mixed with alcohol, and review common and household items used for inhalant properties. Key topics in this course include muscle relaxers, GHB, solvents, interactions with alcohol, and the growing use among younger populations.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants
• Discuss the current trends relating to these substances
• Summarize the side effects and/or symptoms of abuse for depressants, antidepressants, sedatives, and inhalants
• Describe the synergistic effect that occurs when depressants are mixed with alcohol
• Identify the household and other common items that are used for their inhalant properties

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-332
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Hallucinogens, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, examines various types of commonly abused hallucinogens and current trends relating to these substances. The other courses in this series include The Opioid Crisis in America; Stimulants, Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

In 2018, 5.2 million Americans aged 12 or older acknowledged misusing hallucinogens the previous year. While the number of total Americans misusing hallucinogens since that time has remained relatively flat, disturbing new trends are developing - increased use by high-school aged students and young adults and the emergence of designer drugs.

This module helps law enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals employ the appropriate actions and safety measures when responding to illicit drug-related events. This course focuses on how a user’s emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused hallucinogens
• Summarize current trends related to hallucinogens
• Describe common effects of hallucinogens on the body
• Explain how a user’s current emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-343
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: The Opioid Crisis in America, a two-part eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, provides an overview of the chemical and legal classification of opioids and examines the national epidemic of opioid abuse. The other courses in this series include Depressants, Antidepressants, and Inhalants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every day in America, 116 people die from an opioid overdose. Part one of this course, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Overview”, discusses the differences between opiates and opioids; identifies uses of opioids, examines the overall national opioid epidemic, and describes the societal impacts of opioid abuse. Part two, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Opioid Drugs and Responses” reviews the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs, differentiates between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids, examines common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion, and reviews medications to reduce opioid dependence.

The modules provide key information and safety measures law enforcement and criminal justice providers should know when responding to opioid related events and examine community response and other evidence-based practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the difference between opiates and opioids
• Identify uses of opioids
• Examine the overall national opioid epidemic
• Describe the societal impacts of opioid abuse
• Identify the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs
• Differentiate between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids
• Examine common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion
• Identify medications to reduce opioid dependence

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-333
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Ethical Decision Making: Policing with Principled Insight, an eLearning course, explores the practice of decision making and the ethical principles that support effective policing with a focus on perspective, purpose, obligation, and integrity. Take a thought-provoking journey that explores the practice of decision making and the ethical principles that support effective policing.

This course emphasizes that police ethics are not just an after-thought or a means of discouraging bad behavior; instead, ethics are a controlling insight that inform and guide police practitioners from an internal, personal capacity. Join a 2500-year-old conversation on ethical decision making while exploring realistic, modern-day challenges faced by policing professionals. Recognizing that for policing professionals, public trust, integrity, and liability hinge on every decision, this concise and relevant course addresses the realities of policing in the 21st century.

Learning Objectives:

• Define and identify characteristics of ethics
• Explain the concept of "A Priori" knowledge (Thinking Backwards) as a means of building a body of ethical knowledge
• Explain the concept of a controlling insight and a delineated process for developing it as part of ethical decision making
• Discuss the relationship between effective community policing and ethical decision making
• Discuss the concepts of Perspective and Paradigms and their relationship to ethical decision making
• Discuss the relationship between effective community policing and ethical decision making
• Explain the concept of De-Policing and its relationship to ethical policing practices
• Access the Police Ethical Navigator (PEN) and apply module content in completing the PEN activities and exercises
• Explain the concept of Purpose and its relationship to Perspective and ethical decision making
• Discuss the fundamental purpose of policing in terms of societal stability
• Explain the concept of Virtue Ethics in terms of a sense of obligation and ethical decision making
• Explain the concept of Formalism in terms of a sense of obligation and ethical decision making
• Explain the concept of Utilitarianism in terms of a sense of obligation and ethical decision making
• Explain the concept of Integrity as it relates to choice and ethical decision making
• Identify the steps of the decision making process
• Explain the relationship between ethics and the science and mechanics of the decision making process
• Identify the physiological processes involved in decision making
• Identify the role that awareness plays in ethical decision making
• Explain strategic approaches that tend to improve ethical decision making

Target Audience: Law enforcement practitioners, criminal justice and public safety professionals, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2012-CK-WXK-011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-323
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: P5 - Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices, an eLearning course, advances community policing by further enhancing positive police interactions with students and school personnel in school environments. Learners utilize the SARA model, a problem-solving method of community policing, to improve the elements of a positive school climate: physical and learning environments, relationships, engagement, safety, and discipline. Topics cover implicit biases, adolescent behavior, effective discipline, and much more.

School Resource Officers (SROs) are essential to achieving safer schools. The P5 course provides professional development for school-based law enforcement officers (school resource officers, school police officers, school safety directors, and school security officers) and their education counterparts. The course creates a shared language of concepts to improve communication, role clarity, and realign expectations.

Research-based and practice-informed strategies are explored throughout the course. These topics include how to manage implicit biases, respond to youth behavior, and address the physical environment to target crime and wellness.  Learners focus on steps to implement fair and equitable discipline, restore relationships after conflict, and solve school problems collaboratively, all with the goal to create a safer school using community policing.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the benefits of creating a positive school climate
• Explain the four basic elements of a positive school climate
• Explain the Preventing Problems by Promoting Positive Practices (P5) framework

Target Audience: School-based law enforcement officers (school resource officers, school police officers, school safety directors, and school security officers) and their education counterparts.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by Xero Associates Inc. and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WXK-015 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-340
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Postnatal Risks – How You Can Make a Difference, an eLearning course, demonstrates how an environment of substance use and drug activity can affect drug endangered children (DEC) throughout their lives and provides action steps that stakeholders can take to respond to the needs of drug endangered children. Additional courses provided by DEC include, Drug Endangered Children Overview, Prenatal Substance Exposure - Why Should I Care?, and You Can Change the Long-Term Outcomes of Drug Endangered Children.

Postnatal exposure to an environment associated with substance use and drug activity affects drug endangered children throughout their childhood and entire life. Early intervention maximizes a drug endangered child’s potential outcomes. Through interactive modules, discover how to use promising practices and DEC Protocols to sustain ongoing change and improve DEC outcomes. For more information on drug endangered children, please National DEC at https://nationaldec.org.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify postnatal risks of exposure to environments where there is substance use and drug activity
• Recognize the importance of early identification and intervention in changing the trajectory of a child’s life and breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse
• Identify the essential elements required for a multidisciplinary collaborative response to meet the needs of drug endangered children
• Apply promising practices and DEC protocols to sustain ongoing change and improve DEC outcomes
• Choose appropriate next steps to take after completing this module

Target Audience: Law enforcement, first responders, and child welfare, medical, legal, and education professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-008 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 45 minutes including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-339
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Problem-Oriented Policing: The SARA Model, an eLearning course, provides learners with a basic awareness and understanding of the fundamental principles of a common approach used by many community policing agencies to identify and solve repeat crime and community problems. The SARA model allows agencies to scan through multiple data sources, conduct a thorough analysis of a problem through the lens of the crime triangle, formulate a response, and continuously assess the impact of the response to the problem.

Describing the four steps of the SARA model (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment) in sequence, the modules also help learners identify when to move from one phase to the next. Correctly identifying the real problem in a community is a critical step in making a lasting impact on neighborhood crime and disorder. Learners explore the importance of assessment, types of evaluations, and nontraditional measures for determining effectiveness. Finally, the course outlines considerations for implementing Problem-Oriented Policing within an agency.

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate between the terms Problem Solving and Problem-Oriented Policing
• Identify the goal of Problem-Oriented Policing
• Describe the four steps of the SARA model
• Differentiate between incidents and problems
• Describe the variety of sources from which a problem could be identified
• Identify factors that assist with prioritizing and selecting crime problems to solve
• Explain the importance of stakeholders in the problem-solving process
• Explain the importance of the analysis step of the SARA model
• Explain the importance of third parties in relation to the crime triangle
• Identify resources to assist with solving problems
• Explain the factors that indicate the need to move from the analysis phase to the response phase of SARA model
• Identify the four different parts, in sequence, of the response phase of the SARA model
• Describe the variety of factors that are considered prior to planning or implementing a response
• Describe the importance of timetables and action plans in the response phase
• Identify ways of debriefing during and after the implementation of a response
• Describe the role of assessment in the context of the SARA model and the problem-solving process
• Consider the implementation of Problem-Oriented Policing in their own agency

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-328
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: The Call: Serving Those with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities, an eLearning course designed as a video-based simulation, provides learners with an opportunity to assume the roles of three different law enforcement officers in an interactive movie, make decisions for these officers, and experience the consequences of their choices. The course trains officers on best practices for the recognition and response to incidents involving civilians with mental illness. Topics include properly assessing the situation, effective communication techniques, active listening, de-escalation, and crisis intervention.

This course continues the advancement of community policing by further enhancing mental illness training for law enforcement professionals through eLearning. The choose-your-own-journey approach of this course allows learners to assume the role of playable characters in an interactive simulation. Playing as three different officers in three different scenarios, learners experience in real time the feeling of responding to calls involving individuals with cognitive or behavioral conditions that may cause impairment. Each module (Introduction, Knowing the Signs, and Crisis Intervention) challenges learners to make quick decisions in response to the situations unfolding in front of them. Learners then experience the consequences of their choices. This course provides all law enforcement professionals, from new officers to seasoned veterans, best practice recommendations from leading experts in the field of mental health awareness and response.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain considerations that officers make when responding to individuals with mental health or cognitive and emotional impairments
• Identify on-scene responses when an individual in crisis does not have a support system
• Identify basic principles that apply to any call, including those involving mental illness or I/DDs
• Identify if mental health is a driver of a call - taking the extra moment to gain any insight into the subject's mental state could be critical
• Explain how communication with a subject may be the best tactical tool to increase safety
• Apply crisis intervention strategies with active listening skills

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by WILL Interactive and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-347
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: You Can Change the Long-Term Outcomes of Drug Endangered Children, an eLearning course, demonstrates how exposure to drug activity and substance use has long-term impacts on drug endangered children (DEC) and includes action steps to support these children. Additional courses provided by DEC include, Drug Endangered Children Overview, Prenatal Substance Exposure - Why Should I Care?, and Postnatal Risks - How You Can Make a Difference.

This course outlines how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as growing up in households where substance use and drug activity are present impacts children long-term including cognitive deficits, emotional risks, high-risk behavior, and health problems. Early intervention and building resilience are important factors that can change the trajectory of a child’s life and help break the multigenerational cycle of substance abuse. For more information on drug endangered children, please contact National DEC at https://nationaldec.org.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the long-term impact and needs of drug endangered children throughout childhood and into adulthood
• Examine how early identification and intervention can change the trajectory of a child’s life and break the long-term cycle of multigenerational substance abuse
• Determine the best approach to a particular situation to reduce trauma for drug endangered children
• Recognize the essential elements required for a successful multidisciplinary collaborative response to meet the needs of drug endangered children
• Choose appropriate next steps to take after completing this module

Target Audience: Law enforcement, first responders, and child welfare, medical, legal, and education professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-008 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 45 minutes including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-334
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Campus Safety Training Program: Introduction to Behavioral Intervention Teams, an eLearning course, provides an overview of the function of a Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) within a school environment. Main topics include identifying the role and purpose of a BIT, reviewing key terminology, and exploring strategies to implement a BIT in any school.  Additionally, the course outlines the school resource officer’s role in a BIT.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), U.S. Department of Justice and National Institute of Justice funded the National Policing Institute to implement a project in 2015 to track incidents of averted school violence on a national level. As of April 2018, 51 reports had been filed, although it is suspected that many more incidents have gone unreported. An “averted incident” is defined as a planned violent attack on school grounds that is prevented before injury or loss of life has occurred. In tracking these incidents, five key actions have been identified to improve school safety, ranging from well-defined and rehearsed active shooter plans to focused plans promoting personal relationships with students. The development and consistent involvement of a multi-functional case-management team for review of concerning behavior plays a critical role in improving school safety. These teams, commonly referred to as Behavioral Intervention Teams, are the focus of this introductory eLearning course.

Campus safety stakeholders benefit from examining foundational components and appropriate applications of a BIT in effort to prevent school violence.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the role and purpose of a BIT
• Define terminology associated with the BIT
• Identify ways to implement a BIT in any school
• Discuss the role of a school resource officer in a BIT

Target Audience: School personnel, law enforcement, including school resource officers and campus safety professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-346
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Campus Safety Training Program: School Reunification, an eLearning course, provides an overview of the student reunification process. In addition to reviewing the various types of situations that require reunification and key reunification terminology, the course also explores roles required for successful reunification and provides recommendations for training stakeholders and practicing a reunification plan.

In the United States, schools provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million children. Schools are expected to keep children safe every day, but during traumatic events, this objective becomes the primary focus of teachers, administrators, and school staff members.

Reunification occurs when children are reunited with their parents or guardians after an emergency or disastrous event at their school. In these situations, a traditional student release process is unsafe and often lacks necessary organization. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, the reunification of students with their primary caregivers is crucial for the reestablishment of social support after a traumatic event and is often the only mental health crisis intervention needed. A comprehensive emergency plan includes a reunification plan to ensure the safety of the whole school community.

This course provides educational stakeholders with a structure to develop and implement a school reunification plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify emergency situations that require a reunification plan
• Define terminology associated with a reunification plan
• Define the purpose and components of a reunification plan
• Determine the purpose and components of a response map
• Identify the roles required in a reunification plan

Target Audience: School administrators, school personnel, law enforcement, school resource officers, and campus safety professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-341
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: After-Action Review and Reporting: An Introduction, an eLearning course, provides an overview of after-action review and reporting processes, as applied within a law enforcement organization following incidents ranging from common, everyday situations to complex, high-impact, critical incidents.

The application of after-action reviews is an effective organizational learning tool and powerful community policing strategy. This course equips law enforcement personnel with a basic understanding of when and in what circumstances an after-action may be best utilized, as well as how to conduct impactful reviews that result in written reports, including guidance on ways to organize, document, and communicate the findings of an after-action review. Although designed specifically for first line supervisors or officers in charge of conducting/overseeing the after-action process within an organization, this course benefits all local, state, and tribal law enforcement personnel, regardless of rank or position. Non-law enforcement community stakeholders may enhance their awareness of community policing efforts by taking this course. Learners may access and utilize an assortment of multimedia resources as needed in the future.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the basic principles of community policing as they relate to the after-action process
• Discover what makes after-actions a credible learning tool for law enforcement
• Explore the role of after-actions in identifying and addressing wellness issues stemming from critical incidents
• Explore the dynamic nature of the after-action review process
• Identify ways to determine the type of review to conduct
• Distinguish informal reviews from formal reviews, and the circumstances in which either may be most appropriate
• Describe the leader or supervisor’s role in guiding and institutionalizing the process
• Discover essential qualifications for an independent review team or consultant
• Identify the role of comprehensive, well-written reports in the after-action review process
• Examine the fundamental information typically included in written after-action reports
• Explore the National Police Foundation’s online library of published Incident Reviews

Target Audience: Public safety practitioners, first line supervisors or officers, local, state, and tribal law enforcement personnel, and non-law enforcement community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2015-CK-WXK-003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-329
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Changing Perceptions: A Fair and Impartial Policing Approach, an eLearning course, provides an opportunity for learners to assume the roles of three different law enforcement officers in an interactive video-based simulation, make decisions for these officers, and experience the consequences of their choices. The modules train officers on the effect of implicit bias and provides them with the information and skills they need to reduce and manage their biases.

This simulation-based course defines implicit bias and dramatizes through interactive scenarios that policing based on bias can be unsafe, ineffective, and unjust. The opening video serves as an introduction to the concept of implicit bias, while the three modules focus separately on safe, effective, and just policing decisions and behavior.

By allowing officers to experience the same encounter from two perspectives (officer and possible suspect) simultaneously, this course provides learners with an insight into the biases that some members of the community may harbor toward police and why those biases exist.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that bias is a normal human attribute—even well-intentioned people have bias
• Articulate the fundamental concepts of the science of human bias
• Describe how unconscious or implicit bias works in the human mind
• Describe the potential impact of bias on officers’ perceptions and behavior
• Articulate the impact biased policing has on community members
• Articulate the impact of biased policing on law enforcement organizations
• Apply skills for reducing  biases
• Analyze options with a fair and impartial policing lens

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by WILL Interactive and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2016-CK-WXK-015 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-321
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Community Policing: Improving Police Efficacy and Building Trust (CPIPEBT), an eLearning course, enhances learners’ awareness of and skills and abilities to engage in contemporary policing strategies founded in the principles of community policing.

Since the early 1980s, the principles of community policing have been a driving force in American law enforcement. Yet for all its past success, community policing may never have been as vital to law enforcement and the well-being of our communities as it is today. Exploring how emerging issues are necessitating a commitment to the key components of community policing, this course focuses on partnerships, organizational transformation, and problem solving.

The course examines the current state of policing—both locally and nationally—addressing a multitude of factors that challenge the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies and the well-being of the communities they serve. CPIPEBT urges learners to explore the principles and practices of community policing as a means of achieving the public safety mission with greater efficiency by gaining and maintaining public trust and engaging the community in the shared responsibility of effective policing.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify current and emerging challenges in policing
• Review the principles of community policing
• Identify current policing paradigms
• Explain the historical evolution of community policing
• Explain the community policing principles of partnerships, problem solving, and organizational transformation
• Identify current and emerging obstacles to implementing positive initiatives that promote effective policing
• Apply strategies for sustaining improvements to the challenges of policing in effort to view each as an opportunity for change
• Identify the principles of community policing as actionable and vital practices for keeping effective change in place
• Apply the principles of community policing to the improvement of public safety at the community level

Target Audience: Law enforcement practitioners, criminal justice and public safety professionals, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2014-CK-WXK-027 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-330
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Contemporary Approaches for Responding Effectively to Community-Defined Disorder (CARE CDD) consists of two separate eLearning courses, one designed for law enforcement practitioners and one geared specifically for executives, that examine successful initiatives around the country. These initiatives include homeless outreach teams, mental health crisis intervention, domestic abuse harm reduction, substance use disorder treatment, gang violence prevention, and more—demonstrating a “community care” framework for responding effectively to a variety of disorder and crime problems. The courses examine the role of law enforcement officers and agencies in developing, implementing, sustaining, and evaluating these types of community-based problem-solving strategies. 

Public safety agencies recognize that many types of harm can affect the health of a community—not just the major crime incidents that dominate headlines, but also the everyday disorder problems that negatively impact community members and generate frequent calls for service. In many cases, past efforts to manage disorder have focused on enforcement actions targeting low-level offenses. However, research and practice indicate that aggressive, enforcement-focused order maintenance strategies are ineffective and can undermine relationships between law enforcement and community members.  

Increasingly, public safety professionals recognize the need for innovative problem solving to address disorder and crime problems, which occur disproportionately in under-resourced neighborhoods and are often rooted in economic and social inequities. Responding to complex problems requires law enforcement to form partnerships with community stakeholders and other agencies to enact multi-faceted initiatives. Such efforts represent a fundamental change in the way we think about public safety, emphasizing the collaborative role of police and other law enforcement practitioners as caretakers of their communities.  

To help connect principles to practice, a series of field-driven video case briefings provides insight on innovative practices that law enforcement practitioners and executives can apply in their own communities. The case studies feature interviews with subject matters experts currently engaged in community-oriented programs to manage disorder problems in their jurisdictions.  

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how the principles and practices of community policing can be applied to address community-defined disorder.
  
• Describe the role of law enforcement in managing community-defined disorder.
• Differentiate between varying approaches to order maintenance.
• Explain the relationship between disorder policing and community policing.
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community.
• Apply problem-solving methods to identify, define, and respond to community-defined disorder problems.
• Describe the benefits of proactive, collaborative problem solving.
• Explain how to identify and define disorder problems that require intervention.
• Identify partners who can share resources to address specific disorder problems in the community.
• Develop effective responses to community-defined disorder.
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community.
• Identify collaboration and communication strategies to support effective problem solving.  
• Based on the needs of the agency, select appropriate leadership strategies to support effective order maintenance strategies.
• List benefits of using a collaborative model to improve quality of life in the community.
• Identify methods for communicating effectively with community members about quality-of-life initiatives. 
• Identify structures to promote collaboration among organization members.
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community.
• Describe how problem-solving initiatives to address disorder can be sustained for long-term success. 
• Identify factors that may influence the sustainability of problem-solving initiatives.
• Explain the role of discretion when managing disorder in the community.
• Develop a plan for the training and ongoing professional development of personnel involved in problem-solving initiatives.
• Select appropriate performance measures for evaluating the success of first-line personnel.
• Analyze case studies to identify strategies that can be applied in your community.

Target Audience: Developed as a stand-alone companion to the CARE CDD course for practitioners, this course is streamlined for law enforcement executives and presented in an easily accessible, self-paced format. CARE CDD for Executives is ideal for leadership personnel representing agencies of all sizes and demographics. 

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-018 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-386
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Introduction to Public Safety De-escalation Tactics for Military Veterans in Crisis, an eLearning course, provides law enforcement with key signs that a veteran faces significant mental health challenges connected to military service and demonstrates proven tactics that can be used when responding to affected veterans.

The prevalence of “invisible wounds” grows among the veteran population. One in five veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression, but only half of those who need treatment seek medical help. Serious mental health challenges connected to military service such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety have direct ties to substance abuse and homelessness, taking a heavy toll on those who have served. Often, law enforcement responds to calls for veterans in crisis as they face significant challenges of reintegration into civilian society.

This course enhances the skills and capabilities of law enforcement officers and relevant first responders when encountering critical incidents involving veterans who may be in crisis. It intends to improve officer safety by providing learners with an understanding of PTSD and other challenging factors for veterans, proven verbal de-escalation techniques, and references to resources available to veterans to cope.

The main topics include recognizable signs that a person is a veteran, the multitude of factors that may be impacting a veteran’s ability to reintegrate into their communities, and multiple verbal de-escalation tactics to be used in crisis encounters with veterans to defuse potentially violent situations.

Warning: This course contains images, videos, and sounds that may be disturbing. Learner discretion is advised.

Learning Objectives:

• Define veterans
• Identify wartime stressors that active military experience
• Describe the effect of multiple deployments on veterans
• Identify how exposure to wartime conditions may result in long-term psychological problems
• Explain the impact of sustained operations overseas and how veterans may react with heightened tension to domestic situations
• Recognize the need for proper public safety/law enforcement intervention
• Define Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Identify common mental health manifestations of PTSD
• Recognize the stigma attached to EDPs and those diagnosed with PTSD
• Identify safety issues associated with PTSD and EDPs
• Identify ways to assess the behavior of veterans in crisis when responding to a call
• Describe de-escalation tactics when encountering veterans in crisis situations
• Describe EDP response principles
• Identify response principles that have proven to be successful for veterans in crisis
• Utilize activities and demonstrate successful response strategies
• Identify how to access resources available to veterans and their families
• Identify types of technologies that may assist returning veterans with reintegration

Target Audience: Law enforcement practitioners and first responders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC), an agency of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-010 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 2 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-337
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Place-Based Policing for Small and Rural Agencies, an eLearning course, provides learners with the opportunity to explore concepts in various, applicable contexts. The modules, designed for all law enforcement professionals, from leadership to frontline officers, demonstrate place-based policing practices that reduce crime and are specifically tailored to small and rural agencies. 

This eLearning course identifies evidence-based and emerging practices for place-based crime reduction strategies and translates them into action-based approaches tailored to small and rural agencies. Learners utilize case studies and interactive components to explore evidence-based policing practices, place-based practices, the use of data and technology, and how to utilize community-police engagement to implement place-based policing strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain evidence-based policing practices
• Apply evidence-based policing practices learned during scenario-based activities
• Describe place-based policing strategies
• Provide examples of small or rural agencies applying place-based policing strategies
• Apply place-based policing strategies learned during scenario-based activities
• Explain the use of data and technology in placed-based policing strategies
• Provide examples of how data and technology can be applied to placed-based policing strategies
• Provide examples of small or rural agencies applying place-based policing strategies
• Apply the use of data and technology to implement place-based policing strategies
• Explain how community-police engagement can be utilized to implement place-based policing strategies
• Provide examples of how community-police engagement can be applied to placed-based policing strategies
• Apply principles of community-police engagement in place-based policing strategies using scenario-based activities

Target Audience: Public safety professionals affiliated with small and rural police agencies.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and supported by cooperative agreement 2019-CKW-XK-010 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 2 hours including the pre-test and post-test

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-439
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Problem-Oriented Policing: The SARA Model, an eLearning course, provides learners with a basic awareness and understanding of the fundamental principles of a common approach used by many community policing agencies to identify and solve repeat crime and community problems. The SARA model allows agencies to scan through multiple data sources, conduct a thorough analysis of a problem through the lens of the crime triangle, formulate a response, and continuously assess the impact of the response to the problem.

Describing the four steps of the SARA model (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment) in sequence, the modules also help learners identify when to move from one phase to the next. Correctly identifying the real problem in a community is a critical step in making a lasting impact on neighborhood crime and disorder. Learners explore the importance of assessment, types of evaluations, and nontraditional measures for determining effectiveness. Finally, the course outlines considerations for implementing Problem-Oriented Policing within an agency.

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate between the terms Problem Solving and Problem-Oriented Policing
• Identify the goal of Problem-Oriented Policing
• Describe the four steps of the SARA model
• Differentiate between incidents and problems
• Describe the variety of sources from which a problem could be identified
• Identify factors that assist with prioritizing and selecting crime problems to solve
• Explain the importance of stakeholders in the problem-solving process
• Explain the importance of the analysis step of the SARA model
• Explain the importance of third parties in relation to the crime triangle
• Identify resources to assist with solving problems
• Explain the factors that indicate the need to move from the analysis phase to the response phase of SARA model
• Identify the four different parts, in sequence, of the response phase of the SARA model
• Describe the variety of factors that are considered prior to planning or implementing a response
• Describe the importance of timetables and action plans in the response phase
• Identify ways of debriefing during and after the implementation of a response
• Describe the role of assessment in the context of the SARA model and the problem-solving process
• Consider the implementation of Problem-Oriented Policing in their own agency

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-328
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Salt Lake City Police Department, Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) Program Overview, an interactive publication, provides a summary of the three primary components of the HOST program--donations to homeless service providers, the homeless support group, and collaborative street outreach. Designed with the purpose of sharing program information and materials to help create a better model to end homelessness across the nation, this publication serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in homeless outreach efforts.

The Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program was originally developed to bring Salt Lake City (Utah) police officers and community outreach workers together to identify homeless individuals who panhandle or engage in other types of public nuisance activities in the city and connect them to community resources. The main objectives were to encourage police to make referrals to services rather than issue citations and to decrease the prevalence of panhandling by encouraging the public to give money to service providers rather than directly to panhandlers.

In 2012, the Salt Lake City Police Department expanded the program to include a public awareness campaign, coordinate strategic planning efforts, and recruit and train formerly homeless individuals as volunteers to assist with outreach efforts. 

Target Audience: The intended audience for this interactive publication is anyone interested in homeless outreach efforts

Original Publication: October 5, 2016

Cooperative Partners: This interactive report is based on the 2016 written publication of the same name, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This online version was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement number 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Overview: The Call: Serving Those with Behavioral and Cognitive Disabilities, an eLearning course designed as a video-based simulation, provides learners with an opportunity to assume the roles of three different law enforcement officers in an interactive movie, make decisions for these officers, and experience the consequences of their choices. The course trains officers on best practices for the recognition and response to incidents involving civilians with mental illness. Topics include properly assessing the situation, effective communication techniques, active listening, de-escalation, and crisis intervention.

This course continues the advancement of community policing by further enhancing mental illness training for law enforcement professionals through eLearning. The choose-your-own-journey approach of this course allows learners to assume the role of playable characters in an interactive simulation. Playing as three different officers in three different scenarios, learners experience in real time the feeling of responding to calls involving individuals with cognitive or behavioral conditions that may cause impairment. Each module (Introduction, Knowing the Signs, and Crisis Intervention) challenges learners to make quick decisions in response to the situations unfolding in front of them. Learners then experience the consequences of their choices. This course provides all law enforcement professionals, from new officers to seasoned veterans, best practice recommendations from leading experts in the field of mental health awareness and response.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain considerations that officers make when responding to individuals with mental health or cognitive and emotional impairments
• Identify on-scene responses when an individual in crisis does not have a support system
• Identify basic principles that apply to any call, including those involving mental illness or I/DDs
• Identify if mental health is a driver of a call - taking the extra moment to gain any insight into the subject's mental state could be critical
• Explain how communication with a subject may be the best tactical tool to increase safety
• Apply crisis intervention strategies with active listening skills

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by WILL Interactive and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-011 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-347
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov .

Course Overview: Crime Reduction: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies, an eLearning course, offers current guidance on effective enforcement and policing strategies aimed at crime reduction. The course also explores the application of crime prevention as a means of actively interdicting and preventing crime in our nation’s communities.

To help connect principles to practice, this course highlights crime reduction initiatives undertaken by law enforcement agencies around the country, demonstrating how policing strategies can be applied in varying contexts. Through video interviews and case studies, each module presents real-world examples to illustrate the strategies presented in the course. The course benefits law enforcement personnel of all assignments, representing agencies of all sizes and demographics, who play a role in crime reduction. Non-law enforcement community stakeholders may use this content to enhance their awareness of crime reduction efforts.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify challenges associated with crime reduction
• Identify ways in which police organizational structures contribute to crime reduction efforts
• Distinguish between immediate, short-term, and long-term strategies to reduce crime
• Recognize the stages of the SARA model
• Distinguish between types of crime patterns
• Apply the problem analysis triangle to an authentic crime scenario
• Analyze responses to crime patterns
• Identify situational crime prevention techniques to address a long-term crime problem scenario
• Analyze offender-focused strategies used as part of a focused-deterrence approach to crime reduction
• Identify community-oriented strategies to reduce crime through a proactive, preventive approach

Target Audience: Law enforcement personnel and non-law enforcement community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Learning Hours: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-335
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, explores commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants. The other courses in this series include Stimulants, The Opioid Crisis in America, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

As reported by the US Surgeon General in 2015, 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older reported misusing sedatives in the past year. Furthermore, 6.1 million individuals reported misusing tranquilizers such as Xanax®. Especially concerning, many of these individuals mix sedatives and/or tranquilizers with alcohol, a depressant in its own right. This risky behavior increases the potential for overdose which can occur when critical areas in the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature stop functioning.

The learning modules explore current trends relating to these substances, examine side effects and symptoms of abuse, discuss the synergistic effects of depressants mixed with alcohol, and review common and household items used for inhalant properties. Key topics in this course include muscle relaxers, GHB, solvents, interactions with alcohol, and the growing use among younger populations.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused depressants, sedatives, antidepressants, and inhalants
• Discuss the current trends relating to these substances
• Summarize the side effects and/or symptoms of abuse for depressants, antidepressants, sedatives, and inhalants
• Describe the synergistic effect that occurs when depressants are mixed with alcohol
• Identify the household and other common items that are used for their inhalant properties

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-332
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: Hallucinogens, an eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, examines various types of commonly abused hallucinogens and current trends relating to these substances. The other courses in this series include The Opioid Crisis in America; Stimulants, Depressants, Antidepressants and Inhalants, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

In 2018, 5.2 million Americans aged 12 or older acknowledged misusing hallucinogens the previous year. While the number of total Americans misusing hallucinogens since that time has remained relatively flat, disturbing new trends are developing - increased use by high-school aged students and young adults and the emergence of designer drugs.

This module helps law enforcement officers and other criminal justice professionals employ the appropriate actions and safety measures when responding to illicit drug-related events. This course focuses on how a user’s emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify commonly abused hallucinogens
• Summarize current trends related to hallucinogens
• Describe common effects of hallucinogens on the body
• Explain how a user’s current emotional state can influence the hallucinogen’s effects

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-343
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Drug Identification and Recognition: The Opioid Crisis in America, a two-part eLearning course in a series of Drug Identification modules, provides an overview of the chemical and legal classification of opioids and examines the national epidemic of opioid abuse. The other courses in this series include Depressants, Antidepressants, and Inhalants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens, and Dissociative Anesthetics.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every day in America, 116 people die from an opioid overdose. Part one of this course, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Overview”, discusses the differences between opiates and opioids, identifies uses of opioids, examines the overall national opioid epidemic, and describes the societal impacts of opioid abuse. Part two, “The Opioid Crisis in America: Opioid Drugs and Responses” reviews the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs, differentiates between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids, examines common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion, and reviews medications to reduce opioid dependence.

The modules provide key information and safety measures law enforcement and criminal justice providers should know when responding to opioid related events and examine community response and other evidence-based practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the difference between opiates and opioids
• Identify uses of opioids
• Examine the overall national opioid epidemic
• Describe the societal impacts of opioid abuse
• Identify the most commonly abused prescription opioid drugs
• Differentiate between physical manifestations of synthetic opioids in comparison to other opioids
• Examine common methods of opioid injection and common paraphernalia used for ingestion
• Identify medications to reduce opioid dependence

Target Audience: Law enforcement, criminal justice professionals, service providers, corrections professionals, court system personnel, social workers, behavioral health/treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-007 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-333
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Prenatal Substance Exposure - Why Should I Care, an eLearning course, demonstrates the dangers of prenatal substance exposure for drug endangered children (DEC) throughout their lives and provides action steps that stakeholders can take to respond to the needs of drug endangered children. Additional courses provided by DEC include, Drug Endangered Children Overview, Postnatal Risks - How You Can Make a Difference, and You Can Change the Long-Term Outcomes of Drug Endangered Children.

Prenatal substance exposure has the potential to cause a variety of physical and developmental challenges for drug endangered children throughout their lives. The content outlines the part individuals play in identifying children who are at risk, how to begin the earliest possible intervention while in utero, and understanding one’s ability to change the trajectory of the child's life. Intervention begins by starting a conversation using interviewing techniques and providing resources and sharing information with community partners. For more information on drug endangered children, please contact National DEC National DEC at https://nationaldec.org.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the effects of maternal substance use or exposure to drug activity during pregnancy
• Recognize the importance of early identification and intervention in changing the trajectory of a child’s life and breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse
• Select appropriate techniques to engage in conversation with prenatal subjects
• Provide prenatal subjects with information about resources available to them in their community
• Recognize the essential elements required for a multidisciplinary collaborative response to meet the needs of drug endangered children
• Choose appropriate next steps to take after completing this module

Target Audience: Law enforcement, first responders, and child welfare, medical, legal, and education professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 2017-CK-WXK-008 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Learning Hours: 45 minutes including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-338
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

Course Overview: Ethical Considerations for Asset Forfeiture, an eLearning course, outlines best practices concerning asset forfeiture, an important and vital law enforcement tool.  In addition to outlining the three criticisms of forfeiture: corruption, fairness, and a lack of accountability, the course explores the numerous ways that asset forfeiture fulfills the mission of law enforcement. State and local law enforcement survey best practices to cooperate with their federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure a successful and proper seizure and forfeiture of assets.

Asset forfeiture helps strengthen cases, weaken or dismantle criminal enterprises, and return assets to victims of crimes. Like all tools, law enforcement and prosecuting authorities must use asset forfeiture appropriately. Misusing asset forfeiture laws and ignoring asset forfeiture policies can have serious implications. The modules focus on ensuring a command of when and how to properly seize assets for federal forfeiture to protect the rights of the public while also protecting the case and the officer.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify some of the numerous ways that asset forfeiture fulfills the mission of law enforcement
• Discuss three criticisms of forfeiture: corruption, fairness, and a lack of accountability
• Identify best practices when considering the seizure of assets
• Explain how state and local law enforcement can cooperate with their federal law enforcement counterparts to ensure a successful and proper seizure and forfeiture of assets

Target Audience: Federal, state, and local law enforcement.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Program Management and Training Unit of the Department of Justice, Money Laundering Asset Recovery Section (MLARS).

Learning Hours: 1 hour including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST Approval 22-342
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.

NOTE: This is a free resource, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pretest or posttest, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

Resource Overview: Preparing for the Unimaginable: How Chiefs Can Safeguard Officer Mental Health Before and After Mass Casualty Events, an interactive publication, provides expert advice and practical tips that law enforcement executives can implement to safeguard officer mental health before and after a mass casualty event.

The guidance, including the personal contributions of four police chiefs and numerous officers who have lived through such incidents, can help officers to heal emotionally, manage the public, deal with the media, build relationships with other first responder agencies, and much more. Though most agencies have trained and equipped their officers for immediate response to mass casualties, few have prepared their personnel for the psychological fallout. Tragic events can have a profound effect on first responders, who may suffer emotional distress that lingers long afterward.

To help the Newtown (Connecticut) Police Department cope with the murder of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the COPS Office reached out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in 2013 to provide guidance. Preparing for the Unimaginable is the result of NAMI’s work with Newtown’s then police chief, Michael Kehoe. With Chief Kehoe’s leadership, NAMI convened an expert advisory group of police chiefs who had experienced mass casualty events in their communities, along with the mental health professionals who advised them, to gather lessons learned and guidance for other chiefs.  NAMI also sought guidance from numerous police leaders, mental health professionals, and trauma and media experts. The result is this e-Guide, which educates chiefs and command staff about officer mental wellness, provides steps to preparing for the mental health impact of a mass casualty incident, and walks them through the crisis and the aftermath.

While events like Sandy Hook have raised awareness of the challenges that officers face, the day-to-day impact of police work is much greater. Fortunately, there are many steps that law enforcement leaders can take now to build resilient agencies, whether or not they ever experience a mass casualty incident.  There are also ways to prepare for the possibility of such an incident. This guide can serve as a resource for agencies interested in getting started.

Authors: Laura Usher; Stefanie Friedhoff; Sam Cochran; Anand Pandya

Original Publication: 2016

Target Audience: Community stakeholders interested in safeguarding the mental health of law enforcement professionals.

Cooperative Partners: This interactive e-Guide is based on the 2016 written publication of the same name, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This online version was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Overview: Expert Insights: Testifying in Court as a Drug Recognition Expert, an eLearning course, is designed to support Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) as they prepare to appear as witnesses in drug-impaired driving trials. Throughout the course, experts in the fields of law enforcement and prosecution share advice on enhancing courtroom presence and testimony skills, in addition to examining some of the challenges of testifying in impaired driving cases.

This course explores the role of the DRE witness, fundamental courtroom rules and processes, case file preparation, and personal preparation, recognizing that the groundwork for successful testimony is multi-faceted.  Learners interact with the content sequentially, beginning with the preparation required before appearance as a DRE witness at a trial, the expert witness testimony during the direct examination, cross-examination by the defense attorney, and considerations after the conclusion of the trial.  

While tailored to officers who are DREs, this eLearning course is not part of the process of qualifying for or certifying an individual as a DRE.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the role of the witness in an impaired driving case
• Describe the common courtroom routines and the roles of the courtroom participants
• Explain the connection between a detailed report and an effective trial testimony
• Articulate relevant evidence as it relates to case preparation and prosecution
• Prepare a comprehensive case file for effective courtroom presentation
• Identify resources for preparing to qualify as an expert witness
• Describe strategies for communicating effectively with the prosecution team
• Explain the importance of the outcome of a voir dire examination
• Identify standards regarding the admissibility of expert testimony
• Describe the chronology of an effective testimony
• Recall types of questions posed by the prosecutor during direct examination
• Explain how to structure detailed answers to open-ended questions
• Recall types of objections made during direct examination
• Describe appropriate reactions to objections made during the direct examination
• Recall fundamental courtroom rules for witness testimony
• List techniques used by the defense attorney during a cross-examination
• Describe effective ways to respond to questions during a cross-examination
• Identify common defense challenges to the DRE protocol
• Demonstrate effective responses to common defense challenges to the DRE protocol
• Explain the importance of updating the curriculum vitae of a DRE at the conclusion of a trial
• Discuss the value of obtaining post-trial feedback from the prosecutor as a way to reflect on witness performance
• Identify sources for professional development resources for DREs
• Explore case law that relates to DRE cases

Target Audience: Expert Insights: Testifying in Court as a Drug Recognition Expert is intended for law enforcement officers who have previously completed the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program or are already DREs. Although primarily intended for DREs, this course is also appropriate for prosecutors as a guide to working with DREs to prepare for drug-impaired driving trials.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online training was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2020-CK-WXK-037 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Course Length: 4 hours including the pre-test and post-test.

Arizona POST Approved Course
AZPOST does not require the standard approval form for this course; however, if you would like one, please contact AZPOST directly at contactus@azpost.gov.