{"id":70673,"date":"2022-11-01T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/?p=70673"},"modified":"2022-10-26T15:18:38","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T19:18:38","slug":"healing-in-the-wake-of-harm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/","title":{"rendered":"Healing in the Wake of Harm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Over the last few months, the media has been saturated with reports and images of acts of mass violence perpetrated in communities across the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there had been more than 470 mass shootings in the United States as of September 2022; this averages out to 13 mass shootings per week. (A mass shooting is defined as an event where \u201cat least four people are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.\u201d)<sup>1<\/sup> Since May, there have been mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of 40 people. While mass violence events are not limited to mass shootings, mass shootings are the most prevalent form of mass violence in the United States. These incidents are devastating to law enforcement agencies and their communities who must grapple with the aftermath of these horrific events. As they strive to reclaim safety and peace and to begin the long process of healing, IACP is here to help.<\/p>\n<p>With few national resources to provide guidance to police leaders in the hours, days, and months following a mass violence tragedy, the U.S. Department of Justice\u2013Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have partnered to create the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). The MVAI provides peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders in the aftermath of a mass violence event in order to maximize the safety and wellness of officers and other first responders, and to help the community heal. The MVAI shares promising practices for communicating with community members; effectively engaging with the media; and collaborating with local, state, and federal partners.<\/p>\n<p>Acts of mass violence create unique challenges for law enforcement leaders tasked with keeping their communities and officers safe during a time of intense pressure and emotion. When a mass violence incident occurs, the police are charged with numerous responsibilities, such as coordinating the response, securing the scene, ensuring the safety of the community, responding to the media, updating government officials, communicating with victims, and investigating the incident. Law enforcement leaders are often taken aback by these unprecedented complexities and the intense, widespread scrutiny that often envelops the agency and the community following a mass violence tragedy. \u201cNo community wants a tragedy like this, but with the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative, communities will not have to face this alone and will have the resources they need to begin the healing process,\u201d said then-IACP President Dwight Henninger, Chief of Police, Vail, Colorado, Police Department.<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Through the MVAI,\u00a0the Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team,\u00a0composed of subject matter experts (SMEs) with firsthand experience with acts of mass violence, will\u00a0deploy, upon request, to\u00a0provide ongoing assistance\u00a0and resources at no cost to help law enforcement leaders and their communities heal following a mass violence\u00a0incident.\u00a0These experts include police chiefs, sheriffs, public information officers, mental health and victim service professionals, family members of victims, and chaplains. The Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team is available to provide assistance either virtually or in person, depending on the needs of the requesting agency. Its role is to help the agency in any way that their services are best used, and all correspondence and coordination will take place between the team and the requesting agency directly.<\/p>\n<p><aside class=\"pullout pullout--wide alignleft\">Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team include the following individuals who guided their communities through the aftermath of mass violence incidents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Carmen Best, Chief of Police (Ret.), Seattle Police Department, Washington\u2014several critical incidents and mass demonstrations<\/li>\n<li>Cassidee Carlson, Commander, Aurora Police Department, Colorado\u2014Aurora Movie Theater Shooting (2012)<\/li>\n<li>Gene Deisinger, Psychologist\u2014Virginia Tech Shooting (2007) and other critical incidents<\/li>\n<li>Douglas Fuchs, Chief of Police (Ret.), Redding Police Department, Connecticut\u2014Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (2012)<\/li>\n<li>Robert Gualtieri, Sheriff, Pinellas County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Florida\u2014Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting (2018)<\/li>\n<li>Michelle Guido, Director of Strategic Communications, Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Florida\u2014Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)<\/li>\n<li>Michael Kehoe, Chief of Police (Ret.), Newtown Police Department, Connecticut\u2014Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (2012)<\/li>\n<li>Kenneth Mead, Detective, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Nevada\u2014Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting (2017)<\/li>\n<li>John Mina, Sheriff, Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Florida\u2014Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)<\/li>\n<li>John Nicoletti, Psychologist\u2014Columbine High School Shooting (1999), Aurora Movie Theater Shooting (2012)<\/li>\n<li>Daniel Oates, Chief of Police (Ret.), Aurora Police Department, Colorado\u2014Aurora Movie Theater Shooting (2012)<\/li>\n<li>Max Schachter, Victim Advocate, Safe Schools For Alex; father of shooting victim Alex Schachter\u2014Parkland School Shooting (2018)<\/li>\n<li>Connie Schonert, Supervising Probation Officer, Orange County (CA) Probation Department; Survivor\/Peer Supporter\u2014Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting (2017)<\/li>\n<li>Charlie Scoma, Chaplain, Seattle Police Department, Washington\u2014several critical incidents<\/li>\n<li>Ronal Serpas, Superintendent (Ret.), New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana\u2014Bourbon Street Shooting (2014)<\/li>\n<li>Dustin Sternbeck, Director of Communications, Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, DC\u2014January 6 Insurrection (2021) and other critical incidents<\/li>\n<li>Frank Straub, Director of the Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, National Policing Institute\u2014multiple critical incidents<\/li>\n<li>Kristen Ziman, Chief of Police (Ret.), Aurora Police Department, Illinois\u2014Henry Pratt Company Shooting (2019)<\/li>\n<li>Cara Zinski-Neace, former Public Information Officer, Dayton Police Department, Ohio\u2014Ned Peppers Bar Shooting (2019)<\/aside><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Due to the complex, unique, and urgent nature of these incidents, law enforcement leaders can benefit from the knowledge of other law enforcement personnel who have experienced a similar tragedy. What makes the advisory team uniquely positioned to provide critical assistance to law enforcement leaders are their personal experiences navigating a mass violence incident in their own communities. They have a deep, unparalleled understanding of the myriad considerations law enforcement leaders must balance when faced with a mass violence incident. They have \u201cwalked the walk\u201d and can provide insight in a way that only someone who has experienced these tragedies firsthand can. As the MVAI experts say, \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know,\u201d meaning that, until one has experienced a mass violence incident in his or her own community, it is impossible to fathom all of the issues and challenges that could potentially arise. Drawing from their own personal knowledge, the Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team uses a trauma-informed approach to help guide law enforcement agencies and their communities toward healing in the wake of harm.<\/p>\n<p>According to team member Orange County, Florida, Sheriff John Mina:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The members of the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative were chosen, at least in part, because we have a shared experience no law enforcement leader wants. Many of our communities were the targets of a mass shooting. For me, that was the 2016 Pulse Nightclub tragedy. I am honored to be part of this team, where each of us will use our firsthand experience to provide assistance to law enforcement leaders working to help their communities heal from mass violence.<\/em><sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The MVAI was developed with input from the MVAI Council, which provides guidance on deployment and engagement processes and resource development. It also acts as a sounding board for SMEs while they are deployed. The council is composed of mass violence experts across various disciplines and includes members from Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT); Community Orienting Policing Services (COPS) Office; Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC); Office for Victims of Crime (OVC); and the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program, as well as a survivors and experts in medicine, trauma, and incident command.<\/p>\n<p>Mass violence events can cause deep and long-lasting trauma to families, first responders, and community members. Dr. John Nicoletti, a psychologist who has responded to several mass violence tragedies dating back to the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, is a SME with the Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team. He shares that, when mass violence events occur,<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>our basic assumptions about the world become shattered and intense emotional reactions can occur. These intense emotions and trauma responses can then become a permanent part of our being through the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD then leads to a decrease in the quality of life, followed by a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, with thoughts and feelings that these events and reactions cannot be prevented.<\/em><sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Understanding the psychological impact that these events can have on individuals, the MVAI prioritizes the well-being of those affected by mass violence. Through the IACP\u2019s extensive officer safety and wellness and vicarious trauma catalogs and partnerships with the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center, the MVAI streamlines the availability of and connection to valuable resources to assist in the healing process for communities affected by these tragedies. \u201cThe first step in trauma recovery is realizing that the recovery should start in the middle of the crisis. The more individuals feel that their symptoms are normal, the faster the healing process becomes,\u201d explains Dr. Nicoletti.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as the MVAI team is made aware of a mass violence incident, the team initiates contact with the police chief or sheriff of the responding agency to offer assistance. As part of that initial outreach, the team shares IACP resources on relevant topics, including officer wellness, victim services, and vicarious trauma resources. The team will also connect with the agency at regular intervals following the deployment and around times of potentially triggering events, such as court dates, funerals, and remembrances.<\/p>\n<p>The MVAI also focuses on developing resources that will better enable the BJA and IACP to provide law enforcement, other first responders, victims, and communities with the support they need following a mass violence incident, including the following:<\/p>\n<p>A collection of toolkits, checklists, and informational podcasts.<\/p>\n<p>A catalog of experts to draw upon for assistance in specific types of mass violence situations. Experts are organized based on their profession\/role, their area of expertise, and the type of mass violence incidents they have been involved with in order to provide guidance catered to the specific needs of each event.<\/p>\n<p>A library of resources. The library is a searchable database of resources related to preparation, response, and recovery efforts for mass violence and mass casualty events, including a variety of publications, trainings, webinars, guidebooks, articles, after-action reports, and other resources to better inform law enforcement leaders and community partners. Resources are no- or low-cost and new tools are continuously being added.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"pullout alignleft\">The IACP and BJA want law enforcement leaders to know that the MVAI is here to help. To learn more about the initiative and resources, or to request assistance, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theiacp.org\/MVAI\">visit the MVAI page<\/a>.<\/aside>\n<p>Along with providing the knowledge and expertise of SMEs to agencies directly, the MVAI also hosts an online community of practice to help law enforcement leaders connect with other law enforcement leaders, mental health and victim service providers, educators, and faith and community leaders to gain knowledge and access to best practices to prepare for the obstacles they may face following a mass violence incident. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and to share ideas and resources. Membership is open to all IACP members and qualified nonmembers who have an interest in learning or sharing resources about responding to and recovering from a mass violence incident.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"pullout pullout--wide alignleft\"><\/p>\n<p>Read more about mass violence incident response &amp; recovery<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/shared-experiences-and-lessons-learned\"><strong>Shared Experiences and Lessons Learned<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Chiefs Michael Kehoe and Kristen Ziman share an experience every law enforcement leader dreads\u2014the peace of their communities was shattered by an incident of mass violence.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/readiness-response-resilience-recovery\"><strong>Readiness, Response, Resilience &amp; Recovery<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Dr. Angela Moreland-Johnson of the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center offers insights on how partnerships can help police prepare for and respond to critical incidents using a survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach.<\/aside>\n<p><strong>Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><sup>1<\/sup><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunviolencearchive.org\/\">Gun Violence Archive<\/a> website.<\/p>\n<p><sup>2<\/sup>Dwight Henninger (immediate past president, International Association of Chiefs of Police), email, December 9, 2021.<\/p>\n<p><sup>3<\/sup>John Mina (sheriff, Orange County, Florida), email, November 29, 2021.<\/p>\n<p><sup>4<\/sup> John Nicoletti (psychologist), email, December 3, 2021.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Please cite as<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Cristina Fernandez, \u201cHealing in the Wake of Harm: The IACP Mass Violence Advisory Initiative,\u201d <em>Police Chief<\/em> 89, no. 11 (November 2022): 30\u201332.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the last few months, the media has been saturated with reports and images of acts of mass violence perpetrated in communities across the United States.\u00a0According to the Gun Violence Archive, there had been more than 470 mass shootings in the United States as of September 2022; this averages out to 13 mass shootings per week. (A mass shooting is defined as an event where \u201cat least four people are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.\u201d) Since May, there have been mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of 40 people. While mass violence events are not limited to mass shootings, mass shootings are the most prevalent form of mass violence in the United States. These incidents are devastating to law enforcement agencies and their communities who must grapple with the aftermath of these horrific events. As they strive to reclaim safety and peace and to begin the long process of healing, IACP is here to help.<\/p>\n<p>With few national resources to provide guidance to police leaders in the hours, days, and months following a mass violence tragedy, the U.S. Department of Justice\u2013Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have partnered to create the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). The MVAI provides peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders in the aftermath of a mass violence event in order to maximize the safety and wellness of officers and other first responders, and to help the community heal. The MVAI shares promising practices for communicating with community members; effectively engaging with the media; and collaborating with local, state, and federal partners.<\/p>\n<p>Acts of mass violence create unique challenges for law enforcement leaders tasked with keeping their communities and officers safe during a time of intense pressure and emotion. When a mass violence incident occurs, the police are charged with numerous responsibilities, such as coordinating the response, securing the scene, ensuring the safety of the community, responding to the media, updating government officials, communicating with victims, and investigating the incident. Law enforcement leaders are often taken aback by these unprecedented complexities and the intense, widespread scrutiny that often envelops the agency and the community following a mass violence tragedy. \u201cNo community wants a tragedy like this, but with the\u00a0Mass Violence\u00a0Advisory Initiative,\u00a0communities will\u00a0not have to\u00a0face this alone and will have\u00a0the resources they need to begin the healing process,\u201d said then-IACP President Dwight Henninger, Chief of Police, Vail, Colorado, Police Department.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4042,"featured_media":70679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[1780,763,2257,2258],"class_list":["post-70673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mass-casualty-attacks","tag-critical-incident-response","tag-mass-casualty-attacks","tag-mass-violence-advisory-initiative","tag-mvai"],"acf":{"subtitle":"The IACP Mass Violence Advisory Initiative","post_author":"Cristina Fernandez, Program Manager, IACP","main_category":"Mass Casualty Attacks","legacy_article_id":"","legacy_issue_id":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.4 (Yoast SEO v24.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Healing in the Wake of Harm - Police Chief Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Healing in the Wake of Harm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over the last few months, the media has been saturated with reports and images of acts of mass violence perpetrated in communities across the United States.\u00a0According to the Gun Violence Archive, there had been more than 470 mass shootings in the United States as of September 2022; this averages out to 13 mass shootings per week. (A mass shooting is defined as an event where \u201cat least four people are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.\u201d) Since May, there have been mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of 40 people. While mass violence events are not limited to mass shootings, mass shootings are the most prevalent form of mass violence in the United States. These incidents are devastating to law enforcement agencies and their communities who must grapple with the aftermath of these horrific events. As they strive to reclaim safety and peace and to begin the long process of healing, IACP is here to help.  With few national resources to provide guidance to police leaders in the hours, days, and months following a mass violence tragedy, the U.S. Department of Justice\u2013Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have partnered to create the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). The MVAI provides peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders in the aftermath of a mass violence event in order to maximize the safety and wellness of officers and other first responders, and to help the community heal. The MVAI shares promising practices for communicating with community members; effectively engaging with the media; and collaborating with local, state, and federal partners.  Acts of mass violence create unique challenges for law enforcement leaders tasked with keeping their communities and officers safe during a time of intense pressure and emotion. When a mass violence incident occurs, the police are charged with numerous responsibilities, such as coordinating the response, securing the scene, ensuring the safety of the community, responding to the media, updating government officials, communicating with victims, and investigating the incident. Law enforcement leaders are often taken aback by these unprecedented complexities and the intense, widespread scrutiny that often envelops the agency and the community following a mass violence tragedy. \u201cNo community wants a tragedy like this, but with the\u00a0Mass Violence\u00a0Advisory Initiative,\u00a0communities will\u00a0not have to\u00a0face this alone and will have\u00a0the resources they need to begin the healing process,\u201d said then-IACP President Dwight Henninger, Chief of Police, Vail, Colorado, Police Department.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Police Chief Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheIACP\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Margaret White\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheIACP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheIACP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Margaret White\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Margaret White\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8ccef21069086f34ed017e84cdf4fe52\"},\"headline\":\"Healing in the Wake of Harm\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\"},\"wordCount\":1982,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"critical incident response\",\"mass casualty attacks\",\"Mass Violence Advisory Initiative\",\"MVAI\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Mass Casualty Attacks\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\",\"name\":\"Healing in the Wake of Harm - Police Chief Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"NEWTOWN, CT - FEBRUARY 23: Mourners pause as names are read aloud during a community vigil at Newtown High School for the victims of last week's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, February 23, 2018 in Newtown, Connecticut. Newtown is home to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 26 people, 20 of them children, were killed in a mass shooting in 2012. 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(A mass shooting is defined as an event where \u201cat least four people are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.\u201d) Since May, there have been mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Highland Park, Illinois, resulting in the deaths of 40 people. While mass violence events are not limited to mass shootings, mass shootings are the most prevalent form of mass violence in the United States. These incidents are devastating to law enforcement agencies and their communities who must grapple with the aftermath of these horrific events. As they strive to reclaim safety and peace and to begin the long process of healing, IACP is here to help.  With few national resources to provide guidance to police leaders in the hours, days, and months following a mass violence tragedy, the U.S. Department of Justice\u2013Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have partnered to create the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). The MVAI provides peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders in the aftermath of a mass violence event in order to maximize the safety and wellness of officers and other first responders, and to help the community heal. The MVAI shares promising practices for communicating with community members; effectively engaging with the media; and collaborating with local, state, and federal partners.  Acts of mass violence create unique challenges for law enforcement leaders tasked with keeping their communities and officers safe during a time of intense pressure and emotion. When a mass violence incident occurs, the police are charged with numerous responsibilities, such as coordinating the response, securing the scene, ensuring the safety of the community, responding to the media, updating government officials, communicating with victims, and investigating the incident. Law enforcement leaders are often taken aback by these unprecedented complexities and the intense, widespread scrutiny that often envelops the agency and the community following a mass violence tragedy. \u201cNo community wants a tragedy like this, but with the\u00a0Mass Violence\u00a0Advisory Initiative,\u00a0communities will\u00a0not have to\u00a0face this alone and will have\u00a0the resources they need to begin the healing process,\u201d said then-IACP President Dwight Henninger, Chief of Police, Vail, Colorado, Police Department.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/","og_site_name":"Police Chief Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheIACP","article_published_time":"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Margaret White","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TheIACP","twitter_site":"@TheIACP","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Margaret White","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/"},"author":{"name":"Margaret White","@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#\/schema\/person\/8ccef21069086f34ed017e84cdf4fe52"},"headline":"Healing in the Wake of Harm","datePublished":"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/"},"wordCount":1982,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg","keywords":["critical incident response","mass casualty attacks","Mass Violence Advisory Initiative","MVAI"],"articleSection":["Mass Casualty Attacks"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/","url":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/","name":"Healing in the Wake of Harm - Police Chief Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2022-11-01T12:00:37+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/healing-in-the-wake-of-harm\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.policechiefmagazine.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-923557164-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"NEWTOWN, CT - FEBRUARY 23: Mourners pause as names are read aloud during a community vigil at Newtown High School for the victims of last week's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, February 23, 2018 in Newtown, Connecticut. Newtown is home to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 26 people, 20 of them children, were killed in a mass shooting in 2012. 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