All courses | COPS Training Portal

Image for Addressing Hate Crimes: Tools and Strategies for Law Enforcement

NOTE: This is a free resource Toolkit, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pre-test or post-test, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognizes the need for additional resources to prevent, recognize, and combat hate crimes that target our community.

This Toolkit includes a compilation of resources and training materials provided by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). Enroll to view and use the trainings, publications, articles, webinars, videos, and websites available at your fingertips.

Specifically, the Addressing Hate Crimes: Tools and Strategies for Law Enforcement Toolkit includes the following sections:

Building Awareness of Hate Crimes, which includes resources on hate-motivated violence and its impact. It includes an article discussing the immediate and long-term effects of hate-based violence on victims, survivors, and communities, as well as strategies for coping and recovery. A recording from a virtual, national town hall hosted by the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center and the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime explores the prevalence of hate crimes, their societal effects, and approaches to fostering resilience and supporting victims. Additionally, it features the updated FBI Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines and Training Manual, designed to enhance law enforcement reporting and response under the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Other articles, trainings, and reports build public awareness of hate crimes, offer tailored support and training to law enforcement, provide recommendations for improving the investigation, reporting, and prevention of hate crimes.

Addressing Hate Crime, which includes articles, publications, trainings, and stories that address hate crimes and promote community resilience. Topics include initiatives such as using documentary films to foster unity, training law enforcement to uphold civil rights, and creating safe spaces for victims of hate crimes. Stories showcase community responses to hate incidents, such as Modesto CA’s proactive measures inspired by Pittsburgh, PA’s resilience and Manhattan Beach, CA’s solidarity after a suspected hate crime. Training resources offer guidance on recognizing, reporting, and investigating hate crimes, while collaborative campaigns aim to enhance public awareness, victim support, and community trust. These resources emphasize education, collaboration, and proactive strategies to combat hate and promote inclusivity.

Additional Resources, which features more tools and resources for law enforcement professionals to help prevent and effectively respond to hate crimes.

Image for Elder Justice: Tools and Strategies for Law Enforcement

Start

NOTE: This is a free resource toolkit, NOT an eLearning course. There is no pre-test or post-test, and you will not receive a certificate of completion for reviewing this resource.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognizes the need for additional resources to identify and combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. As the population ages, there becomes an even greater need for federal, state, and local law enforcement officers to be prepared for their critical role in responding to and helping prevent crimes related to elder abuse and financial exploitation.

The DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) has developed tools, training, and resources to assist law enforcement. The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is making its resources as well as EJI’s available in this Toolkit. Enroll to view and use the interactive investigative tools, articles, officer checklists, sample protocols, state statutes, webinars, podcasts, resource maps, and training videos available at your fingertips.

Specifically, the Elder Justice: Tools and Strategies for Law Enforcement Toolkit includes the following sections:

Introduction to Elder Crime, which includes a series of case studies compiled by the Elder Justice Initiative (EJI) and a webinar by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) that provides a foundational understanding of abuse in later life. This section includes real-life stories that illustrate and raise awareness of crimes targeting the elderly, such as abandonment, neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, financial fraud, theft, identity theft, investment fraud, forgery, and scams.
The Elder Abuse Guide for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), which includes access to the EAGLE website, and articles about the comprehensive resources it provides. EAGLE is an online tool funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that provides essential resources and training to help officers identify, prevent, and address various forms of elder abuse, including physical, financial, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. This section provides access to the EAGLE website, and features articles from the COPS Office's Community Policing Dispatch archive that cover EAGLE-related topics for law enforcement personnel. These include EAGLE tools and general information, ways to get involved in elder abuse awareness, recent enhancements to make EAGLE more navigable and comprehensive, and guidance on using EAGLE to effectively handle elder abuse calls.
Preventing, Identifying, and Fighting Elder Crime, which includes resources, articles and success stories about methods to recognize and fight elder crime, including: Community Policing Dispatch articles; a series of roll-call videos produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) designed to help officers recognize and respond to various forms of elder abuse; a publication that includes new and enhanced program ideas with tools to create or strengthen law enforcement’s unique role in Triad; and a podcast episode from The Beat on online scams, featuring an investigator from a district attorney's office who works to curb crimes against vulnerable adults.
Additional Resources, which includes more tools and resources for law enforcement professionals to help prevent and effectively respond to elder crimes.

Image for Evaluation of the Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) Program

Start

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: Evaluation of the Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) Program, an interactive publication, provides a summary of an evaluation that was conducted on the Salt Lake City (Utah) Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program. The report, which evaluates the three primary components of the HOST program—donations to homeless service providers, the homeless support group, and collaborative street outreach, is a valuable resource for anyone interested in homeless outreach efforts.

The Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) program was developed to bring Salt Lake City (Utah) police and community outreach workers together to identify homeless individuals and connect them to community resources. The objectives were to encourage police to make referrals to services rather than issue citations and to decrease panhandling by encouraging the public to give money to homeless service providers instead.

In 2012, the Salt Lake City Police Department received an award from the COPS Office to expand the HOST program to fund a public awareness campaign, coordinate strategic planning efforts, and train homeless individuals to assist with outreach efforts. Salt Lake City contracted with the Utah Criminal Justice Center to examine the impact of the award on the program's services and personnel. This report evaluates three primary components of the program: donations to homeless service providers, the homeless support group, and collaborative street outreach.

Target Audience: All community stakeholders interested in homeless outreach efforts

Authors: Erin B. Worwood, MCJ; Jessica Seawright, BSW; Robert P. Butters, PhD

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 2018-CK-WXK-001 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Image for Implementing a Public Safety Drone Program: Instructor-led Training Support Package

Start

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:

Recently, a growing number of agencies have explored the use of drones as a promising new practice. To help guide public safety agencies through the process of establishing and implementing successful drone programs, the US Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has partnered with the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) to create and make available the Implementing a Public Safety Drone Program: Instructor-led Training Support Package (Drone ILTSP).

Developed as a comprehensive training resource for in-person instruction, Drone ILT provides direct access to instructional materials addressing drone program implementation in a public safety setting. Specifically, the Drone ILTSP includes downloadable versions of the following:

Instructor Guide complete with a researched and cited instructional script
Participant Guide that includes notes, exercises, and activity pages
Pre- and post-course assessment and corresponding answer key
Course media (case study videos) in standard, closed captioned (CC), and audio-description (AD) versions

Appropriate for delivery as an 8-hour, in-person training or segmented modular training, the Drone ILTSP course includes an examination of current credentialing requirements, the evolving nature of drone technology and associated regulations, as well as guidance for determining the scope of resources needed for successful implementation. All materials are designed to be fully accessible (508 compliant) and focus on engaging participants through carefully crafted discussions, activities, and case studies that encourage participants to learn from the experiences and insights shared by featured practitioners on the ways they use drone programs to support and enhance their service to the community.

Target Audience: Public safety agencies interested in implementing a drone program, police agencies, sheriff’s departments, fire and rescue services, and other public safety stakeholders.

Cooperative Partners: This project was developed by the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) and was supported by cooperative agreement 2020-CK-WXK-050 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Image for Innovations in Crisis Response: What CIT Programs Need to Know (e-Guide)

Start

Course Overview: Innovations in Crisis Response: What CIT Programs Need to Know, an e-Guide, features the latest practices in crisis response and provides case study examples of communities leading the way.

Recently, innovations in crisis response have made it possible for local communities to increase their capacity for responses that do not place responsibility solely on law enforcement. The e-Guide highlights trends in crisis response including 988 – the national crisis line number, law-enforcement and mental health co-response teams, growth of non-law enforcement community responders, and mobile crisis teams for children and youth. Each innovation is illustrated by an in-depth case study of a community or state program which includes audio interviews, commentary by experts in the field, lessons learned, links to outside resources and organizations, and a checklist of next steps for local CIT leaders interested in bringing these innovations to their communities.

Target Audience: Law enforcement agencies and practitioners, as well as mental health agencies and practitioners, telecommunicators, crisis line staff, mental health advocates and other community organizations.

Cooperative Partners: This tuition-free online resource was developed by the National Center for Policing Innovation (NCPI) and was originally supported by cooperative agreement 15JCOPS-21-GK-02306-SPPS by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Image for Overcoming Language Barriers in Policing and Building an Effective Language Access Program

Start

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.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recognizes the need for additional resources to help law enforcement overcome language barriers and communicate accurately and effectively with people who have a limited ability to speak, write, or understand the English language.

Language barriers can impact officer safety, public safety, and the integrity of an investigation and prosecution. The DOJ’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI) has developed resources and tools that can assist local and state law enforcement agencies in their efforts to provide meaningful language access to individuals with limited English proficiency within their jurisdiction. An initiative led by the Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the resources below review the legal obligation to provide language assistance services and offer promising practices for overcoming language barriers.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is making its resources as well as LELAI's available below. Specifically, the language access resources include the following:

Roadblocks to Communication Recorded Virtual Training Event which discusses the legal obligation to provide meaningful access to individuals with limited English proficiency, identifies and troubleshoots common translation and interpretation issues, and describes the appropriate use of tools and resources such as bilingual officers and machine translation.

LEP.gov Web Resources for Law Enforcement Officers provides sample language access plans, policies, and forms; examples of language access settlement agreements; and other resources to help law enforcement draft, revise, or adopt language access policies, plans, and procedures.

LEP Resource Guide for Law Enforcement that includes guidance on strategies for law enforcement agencies to ensure language access, resources for obtaining language services, and possible funding sources for law enforcement agencies.

FBI Advice of Rights Forms Translated in 40+ Languages, often referred to as the Miranda warning, this document is used by law enforcement to apprise subjects of their constitutional rights in various types of law enforcement interactions, including arrests and custodial interrogations. The form has been translated by FBI linguists into over 40 languages.

To learn more about the language access initiative, visit the Strengthening the Federal Government's Commitment to Language Access memo from the Office of The Attorney General and https://www.lep.gov/.

Image for Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane

Start

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: Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane, a 5-part video series, is the product of a collaborative partnership between the National Canine Research Council, Safe Humane Chicago and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). These roll call videos, along with the companion publication The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters, examine tools, practices, and procedures that contribute to effective responses to dog-related incidents and encounters where dogs are present.

The video series helps develop skills for law enforcement in effective strategies in assessing a dog’s environment; what dog posture, vocalization, and facial expressions mean; options for distracting and escaping from a dog; defensive options in dealing with a dog; asking the right questions in dog investigations; and effective gathering of dog evidence and report writing. The primary goals include ensuring public and officer safety and considering community needs and demands.

Each video in the series is available in English and Spanish and may be accessed via the COPS Training Portal in two ways: played directly through your logged-in COPS Training Portal user account; and/or downloaded, saved and played offline, directly from your device.

Target Audience: Sworn law enforcement officers of all ranks and positions.

Image for Preparing for the Unimaginable: How Chiefs Can Safeguard Officer Mental Health Before and After Mass Casualty Events

Start

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).

Image for Procedural Justice: Roll Call Training for Law Enforcement (5-part Video Series)

Start

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: Procedural Justice: Roll Call Training for Law Enforcement, a 5-part video series and accompanying Presenter’s Guide, was developed to reinforce internal and external procedural justice concepts. The series engages learners in the following concepts: Police Legitimacy and the Community Bank Account, Building Police Legitimacy in the Eyes of the Community, Dangerous Foot Pursuit: Officer Safety, Community Complaint: Demonstrating Respect, and Day Off Request: Internal Policy Implementation.

This roll call series should – over a period of time – reinforce the broader awareness of procedural justice and its core principles and affirm the importance of utilizing procedural justice as a means of increasing police legitimacy with the public as well as organizational legitimacy with employees. The videos reinforce how enhancing the public’s perception of police legitimacy increases voluntary community compliance and community support, which may as a result, improve officer and community safety. While impactful, the roll call training should not be a substitute for in-depth internal or external, front-line, supervisor, executive level, civilian staff or community procedural justice training.

Each scenario/video in the series may be accessed via the COPS Training Portal in two ways: played directly through your logged-in COPS Training Portal user account, and/or downloaded, saved and played offline, directly from your device. Each scenario is meant to be used in a separate roll call training; each roll call training is designed to be approximately 20 minutes in duration. The material is relevant to sworn law enforcement personnel at all organizational levels and could be creatively used as prompts for community dialogues.

Target Audience: Sworn law enforcement personnel at all organizational levels and front-line officers who have participated in procedural justice training; preferably the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services approved Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement: Organizational Change through Decision Making and Policy and Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement Front-line Officers.

Cooperative Partners: This 5-part video series was developed by the Center for Public Safety and Justice (CPSJ) at the University of Illinois - Chicago and was supported by cooperative agreement 2012-CK-WXK-005 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Image for Public Law 280 Training Program for Enhanced Collaborative Law Enforcement

Start

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: Public Law 280 Training Program for Enhanced Collaborative Law Enforcement, a module-based curriculum, provides participants with background information and tangible strategies necessary for effectively policing PL280 reservations. The nuances of PL280 can have varying applications in different states, resulting in confusion regarding jurisdiction in Indian Country. Through cooperation and collaborative resource sharing, tribal and non-tribal law enforcement can work within PL280 to benefit their jurisdictions.

The introductory module explores the history of PL280 while identifying when tribal, state, and federal governments have jurisdiction. Learners then examine the practical applications of PL280 in their state and recognize benefits and challenges to community policing and how to implement key community policing strategies to enhance responsiveness to the most challenging and frequently occurring crimes in PL280 jurisdictions. The curriculum demonstrates how to establish a task force, garner support for task force development, gather resources, and adapt the task force to overcome environmental and political barriers. Insight into the historical background of tribal governments leads to understanding how sovereignty can be used to foster effective law enforcement by building capacity through regulation and tribal law.

Target Audience: Law enforcement and tribal and non-tribal state/government leadership.

Additional Resources

Image for Salt Lake City Police Department, Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) Program Overview

Start

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).