NPI at IACP’s 2022 Annual Conference

Are you attending the IACP 2022 Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas? If so, don't miss workshop presentations featuring NPI's staff members and subject-matter experts! Check out the NPI's IACP conference presentation schedule below. We hope to see you there!

NPI Presentation Schedule

Saturday, October 15

12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Building Effective Crisis Response Programs: Key Elements for Success

NPI Staff: Hannah McManus, PhD

The development of effective crisis response programs is a multi-faceted process requiring close collaboration between law enforcement, behavioral health, and disability stakeholders. Strategic planning is critical to these efforts, including building community partnerships, mapping community resources, delivering training, and evaluating program performance. Presented by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Academic Training to Inform Police Responses, this workshop will feature law enforcement executives whose agencies are participating in strategic planning and training for crisis response. Panelists will discuss their agencies’ experiences with the Academic Training Initiative in resource mapping, partnership building, and the delivery of crisis response and intervention training.

Saturday, October 15

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

The 54th Mile Policing Project: Bridging the Gap in Police-Race Relations

NPI Staff: Robin Engel, PhD

The most critical issue facing the policing profession today is learning how to building trust with the communities officers serve. Join us to view a short documentary of three Black police leaders as they walked the historic 54-mile civil rights walk from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Along their journey, they reflect on what it means to be Black men, law enforcement leaders, and Americans who believe in a future where justice is colorblind and police are catalysts for racial equality. Following the film, panelists discuss the development of a new training curriculum that will assist police executives as they have difficult conversations, support officers, promote diversity in policing, and improve relationships with communities.

Sunday, October 16

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

BJA Knowledge Lab

NPI Staff: James Burch and Robin Engel, PhD

This presentation, featuring the executive leadership of NPI, will provide an overview of the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab. Inspired by the UK’s College of Policing, the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab will:

  • Identify core competencies of constitutional policing based on litigation and evidence-based policy,
  • Assist law enforcement in assessing their constitutional practice, policy, training, and outcomes,
  • Identify gaps in resources, training, and services that the department should consider developing for law enforcement to ensure our resources are focused on supporting the needs of 21st century policing, and
  • Provide on demand consultation, advice, and assistance to departments and partner organizations to work together to protect the public and prevent crime.

Related Project:

Monday, October 17

8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Driving on Empty: Supporting Tired Cops to Improve Safety and Performance on the Roadways

NPI Staff: Brett Cowell

Policing requires officers to be awake at all hours, and combined with staffing shortages and increased operational demands, the job leaves many cops chronically fatigued. The problem is, fatigue is a major risk factor for motor vehicle collisions and compromises critical decision-making capacity. This workshop will discuss fatigue-related risks and explore how executives can implement restorative rest and fatigue management policies to improve the safety and performance of their officers. Panelists will include executives from Henderson (NV) Police Department and Delaware State Police, who will identify the challenges and benefits of their agency’s approach to supporting tired cops. This workshop is provided as part of the National Law Enforcement Roadway Safety Program, supported by BJA.

Related Project:

Monday, October 17

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Innovations in Police and Community Responses to Behavioral Health Crises

NPI Staff: Robin Engel, PhD

Law enforcement agencies are reexamining their responses to behavioral health–related crises in their communities. Although significant innovation in the development of police-led, community-led, and co-response programs has been observed, the prevalence and details associated with these programs remains largely unknown. Panelists will respond to the findings from a survey of U.S. police agencies, examining existing training, programs, and partnerships to support crisis response. Examples of crisis response programs operating in the field are presented, and the successes and challenges of these models are discussed. Updated opportunities for federal support in development and implementation of response programs are presented, and the future for crisis response is discussed.

Monday, October 17

1:00 PM - 2:15 PM

Law Enforcement Response to Mass Demonstrations: Advancing Community and Officer Safety

NPI Staff: Jennifer Zeunik

Recently, increasing mass demonstrations have been about and directed toward law enforcement.  Protests about the police require special consideration in determining and deploying appropriate public safety responses.  The U.S. Department of Justice convened a series of meeting with law enforcement executives, community members, and other stakeholders to develop a resource guide for local law enforcement agencies on policing protests.  This presentation will highlight recommendations focused on community policing principles and promising practices to better equip police for responding to protests. Recommendations that lead to more successful outcomes, including freedom of democracy and speech, peaceful protests, and officer safety, will be discussed.

Monday, October 17

2:45 PM - 3:45 PM

Managing High-Risk Adolescents in Community Contexts: The South Haven (MI) Pier Shooting Case Study

NPI Staff: Frank Straub, PhD, and Sammie Wicks, II

Does averting a school attack ensure that the threat of violence has been mitigated? In 2018 a youth at Michigan High School was arrested after his mother uncovered a school shooting plot involving modified firearms and homemade explosives. Although the school shooting was averted, the subject of concern went on to conduct a tragic act of mass violence after his release from juvenile detention three years later. This incident highlights the need for ongoing engagement and management of subjects of concern during and after incarceration. Containment strategies do not ensure desistance in violence. This case study presents valuable lessons learned for public safety and public health professionals and the need for collaborative multidisciplinary interventions to prevent acts of targeted mass violence that endure after mitigating the first crisis.

Tuesday, October 18

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

The Need for Evidence in Police Reform: Perspectives from the Research Advisory Committee

NPI Staff: Robin Engel, PhD

While some changes in policing are effective, others lack evidence or have unintended consequences. Despite widespread implementation of voluntary and mandated reforms, the profession continues to struggle with officer recruitment and retention, safety and wellness, community trust, rising crime and violence, and controversial use of force. Panelists describe how to navigate the delicate balance facing leaders to be attentive to public demands for reform, while also embracing evidence-based approaches to improve policing and reduce crime and violence. Opportunities for federal support of local law enforcement are discussed, along with perceptions from leading scholars and police executives regarding the importance of using research to support changes in policing.

Tuesday, October 18

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Reducing Violence through Place Network Investigations

NPI Staff: Robin Engel, PhD

Recent increases in gun violence demonstrate that many violence reduction strategies often generate short-term impact, but sustained violence reductions remain elusive. In addition to offender networks, violence is concentrated among a small network of places that provide crime opportunities. A recent evidence-based violence reduction strategy, Place Network Investigations (PNI), is being implemented in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tucson, Arizona; and Wichita, Kansas. Police identify and investigate places contributing to violence, and city leaders strategically deploy existing resources to dismantle crime-place networks. Practitioners and researchers describe their experiences implementing PNI in chronically violent locations and its effectiveness in reducing gun violence.