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.

IACP Annual Awards

The IACP, often with the assistance of a partner or sponsor, presents a number of annual awards to members who have achieved excellence in a specific area of policing. The awards recognize individuals, agencies, partnerships, or groups in areas such as community policing, civil rights, police aviation, victim services, terrorism, and criminal investigation, among many others.

The majority of IACP’s annual awards are presented during the IACP Annual Conference and Exposition, although some are presented at other times or events. The award application season is in full swing and a list of the awards and their application deadlines can be found on the IACP website.

To learn more about IACP awards, please visit www.theiacp.org/awards.

Addressing 21st Century Drug Issues: Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role

The final report of the findings of the 2015 IACP Drug Issues Symposium addresses the entire spectrum of current and emerging U.S. drug issues including illegal drug sources, at-risk populations, Naloxone Reversal programs, drugged driving, drug courts, drug treatment, and diversion. The report discusses selected drug issues concretely, such as those surrounding opioids, prescription drugs, heroin, methamphetamines, and marijuana, and concludes with an action agenda for law enforcement leaders, positioning them to take a lead role in addressing all drug issues from a systematic, community-based perspective. The outcomes are supported by IACP’s Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee, and partner organizations including the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (NAMSDL), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

Report forthcoming. For more information, please contact Becky Stickley (stickleyr@theiacp.org).

IACP and NTOA SWAT Study Report

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), with support from the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), conducted a research study to assess critical trends and issues related to Special Weapons and Tactical (SWAT) team activities in the United States from 2009 through 2013.

Through the development and implementation of the national assessment, the IACP and NTOA have collected information about law enforcement teams composed of specially selected, trained, and equipped personnel who are deployed to resolve high-risk incidents. The IACP NTOA National SWAT Study report reveals the results of the research study’s look into the composition of SWAT teams, protocols, practices, training procedures, community relations, deployment decisions, outcomes, and incident reporting. From the 2009 through 2013 data, the most common incident involving the activation of a SWAT team was a high-risk warrant service. In 2013, over 60 percent of the 254 reporting agencies had their own SWAT team, and more than half reported their SWAT team included paramedics. Agencies that activated their SWAT teams indicated they were eight times more likely to use less-lethal solutions than lethal force, and almost all of the agencies reported an after-action report is completed after every SWAT deployment. The data collected from the IACP NTOA National SWAT Study has significant value to the law enforcement field and will contribute to a better understanding of the purpose, structure, and operations of SWAT practices across the United States.

To download a copy of the report, please visit www.theiacp.org/SWAT.