In the mission to support the law enforcement leaders of today and develop the leaders of tomorrow, the IACP is constantly involved in advocacy, programs, research, and initiatives related to cutting-edge issues. This column keeps you up to date on IACP’s work to support our members and the field of law enforcement.

Drive to Save Lives Campaign—Incorporating Large Truck and Bus Enforcement

More than 3,500 fatal crashes occurred in both 2010 and 2011, resulting in over 4,000 fatalities involving at least one large truck or bus. Ninety percent of the fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses were caused by highly visible and detectable driver-related crash factors such as speeding, distracted driving, and failure to maintain proper lane control. The IACP, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and in support of the Drive to Save Lives Campaign, is working to raise awareness of these crash factors, educate law enforcement on promising practices related to enforcement of large trucks and buses, and develop resources to support high-visibility enforcement initiatives.

This project involves members of the IACP’s State Associations of Chiefs of Police, State and Provincial Police Divisions, Highway Safety Committee, and other experts—the same groups who recently met for the Large Truck and Bus Enforcement Educational and Strategic Planning Forum.

Members should look for awareness materials over the next several months that will assist agencies in participating in the Drive to Save Lives Campaign and incorporating large truck and bus enforcement into their traffic enforcement programs. Take a look at Minnesota State Patrol Colonel Matt Langer’s February 2015 Police Chief Highway Safety Initiatives column, “Commercial Vehicle Focus: Essential to a Successful ‘Challenge’ Event” (www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&issue_id=22015&category_ID=11). For social media posts that document success, use the hashtag #Drive2SaveLives to help IACP enhance a national campaign to reduce crashes and save lives.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Horn at horn@theiacp.org or call 703-647-7215.

Intermediate Juvenile Interview and Interrogation Techniques Online Training

The IACP, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, has released a new online training titled Intermediate Juvenile Interview and Interrogation Techniques. The course provides information on best practices and procedures in juvenile interview and interrogation tactics for law enforcement, with a focus on age-appropriate methods for improving interactions with youth during investigations. Training topics include communication strategies, understanding body language, administering Miranda rights, considerations for diverse populations and cultural communication styles, and methods to elicit complete and accurate responses while safeguarding youth from trauma during interrogations or interviews.

This self-paced, interactive course is available at no cost and is targeted for members of law enforcement who interview or interrogate youth. The techniques discussed in the course focus on juvenile suspects and witnesses, ages 10 to 17, and do not cover child forensic interviewing.

For additional information, contact juvenilejustice@theiacp.org. To register, visit http://elearning-courses.net/iacp.

Community Policing: The Next Generation

One of the IACP’s latest projects, Community Policing: The Next Generation, addresses public safety issues through collaboration and partnership between law enforcement and community stakeholders to adapt community policing efforts fully into the 21st century. The project will include an analysis of the IACP/Cisco Community Policing award winners in order to create a benchmark of innovative community policing concepts nationwide.

Project staff will utilize social media to offer advice, perspectives, and insights about community policing issues. In addition, an advisory group made up of selected members of the IACP Community Policing Committee and private, public, and law enforcement partners, will provide input for this project. Funding is provided by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. ♦

For more information, please contact Rosemary DeMenno at demenno@theiacp.org or call 703-647-6853.