Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
The IACP is proud to serve as the training and technical assistance provider for the Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services and Technical Assistance Program (LEV Program). Sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime, this project seeks to establish or enhance victim services programs in criminal justice agencies in order to couple law enforcement-based services with community-based program partnerships to serve the broader needs and rights of all crime victims.
LEV Sites
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) funded sixteen LEV sites in FY18, thirty-four LEV sites in FY19, and twenty-two LEV sites in FY20.
LEV Resources
A variety of resources have been developed to assist law enforcement agencies in establishing or enhancing law enforcement-based victim services programs. They include:
• Webinars – virtual training for victim services personnel, victim services supervisors, and sworn leadership on key topics such as victims’ rights, program development, and strategic planning.
• Publications – topic-specific documents and templates that correspond with topics covered in webinars.
• Videos – a 3-part series intended to help agency leaders, personnel, partners, and stakeholders learn more about the purpose and benefits of incorporating law enforcement-based victim services into overall agency victim response.
Webinars
All LEV webinar recordings are available free of charge and can be accessed here on IACPlearn. An IACP account is required to register and view the recordings. For assistance creating an IACP account and accessing the webinars, please see our IACPlearn — Getting Started Guide.
Core LEV topics in the webinar series includes:
- Key Considerations
- Victims’ Rights – Part 1
- Advocacy Parameters
- Documentation Standards
- Role Clarification & Professional Wellness
- Building Effective Partnerships
- Agency Incorporation of Victim Services
- Effective Supervision of Victim Services Personnel
- Strategic Planning
- Victims’ Rights – Part 2
Supplemental topics in the webinar series include:
- Ethics in Victim Services
- Crisis Response Planning
- The U & T Visa: A Tool to Support Victims, Communities, and Increase Participation in the Criminal Justice System
- Improving Victim Services Provision: Challenges and Considerations for Seeking Victim Feedback
- Victim Services & Public Information Officer (PIO) Collaboration
- Victim Services Response with Officer-Involved Incidents
- Victim Services & Mental Health Co-Response
- Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Funding
Publications
Quick Reference Series:
This series includes short publications that provide high-level information on law enforcement-based victim services.
- Getting Started - includes a 5-step process to develop law enforcement-based victim services
- Victim Services Role - includes an overview of the role of law enforcement-based victim services (e.g., what it is and what it is not) and common areas of role confusion
- Victim Services Documentation - includes an overview of victim services' documentation standards, including access, location, and content
- LEV Overview - includes an overview of the LEV Program
Topic-Specific Resources:
This series serves as the main LEV publications and provides an in-depth discussion of the main law enforcement-based victim services topics.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Key Considerations and Key Considerations Checklist — provides an overview of foundational topics for law enforcement-based victim services.
- Victims' Rights Jurisdiction Profiles - developed by the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) and provides state-specific information on the intersections of victims' rights and communication with victim services personnel.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Advocacy Parameters — discusses the structure of law enforcement-based victim services, personnel supervision, and service delivery.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Documentation Standards — discusses victim services documentation location, content, and legal interactions.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Effective Partnerships — provides information on the benefits of partnerships and encourages agencies to consider both internal and external partners to strengthen community response to victims.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Using Technology to Communicate with Victims — discusses considerations when using virtual technology to communicate with victims.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Agency Incorporation of Victim Services — discusses integrating victim services within the agency including models of services provision, strategic planning, budget considerations, crisis response, and workplace culture change.
Template Package Series:
This series provides practical templates on a wide range of topics related to victim services. These templates are meant to be adapted for your jurisdiction to serve as a strong foundation for your victim services program.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Template Package I: Getting Started — includes job descriptions, interview questions, code of ethics, and foundational policies and protocols.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Template Package II: Next Steps — includes case response protocol templates, scenarios, and documentation samples.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Template Package III: Student Interns & Volunteers — includes templates focused on recruiting, screening and selection, training, supervision, and other agency considerations for student interns and volunteers.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Template Package IV: Pamphlets — includes sample crime-specific and topic-specific informational pamphlets for agencies to customize and disseminate to victims of crime.
- Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Template Package V: Training — includes customizable presentations and activity workbooks agencies can use for victim services personnel training.
Videos
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: An Overview – provides a high-level overview of key elements of law enforcement-based victim services.
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Key Considerations – discusses what agencies should consider when developing, sustaining, and growing law enforcement-based victim services.
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services: Agency Incorporation – guides agencies in effectively incorporating victim services into the law enforcement agency’s overall response to crime victims.
How can I receive Training & Technical Assistance?
The IACP has released the FY23 Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV) Request for Proposals. For additional information on application requirements and deadlines, visit the award page.
For more information on the LEV program, technical assistance, and resources, please contact LEVProject@theIACP.org.
Additionally, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Fellow is hosting monthly Learning Collaborations focused on law enforcement-based victim services. For additional information, see this flyer.
For future funding opportunities, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice's Website. Additionally, visit OVC's Training and Technical Assistance Center to access no-cost TTA.
LEV Research
The IACP has partnered with the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) to bring three different aspects of research to the Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services Program. The research activities initiated by JRSA vary in order to maximize the breadth of knowledge and the impact on the field of law enforcement-based victim services.
The three research initiatives include:
- LEV Mapping Survey
- Mini Research Grants
- Case Studies
To learn more about each initiative please visit the JRSA Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services Program webpage.
Partners
The IACP is honored to work alongside the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI), Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group, Inc. (Unified Solutions), and the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) to deliver training and technical assistance to the LEV sites. NCVLI will deliver webinar trainings on victims' rights and will provide state-specific resources to each site. Meanwhile, Unified Solutions will act as the specialized training and technical assistance provider to all LEV sites serving tribal jurisdictions. Finally, JRSA will assist in developing and implementing the Victim Services Mapping Project, a research initiative which intends to provide a national scope of law enforcement-based victim services.



Contact
For more information on the LEV program, please contact LEVProject@theIACP.org.
This webpage was produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) under 2018-V3-GX-K049, 2020-V3-GX-K001, and 15POVC-22-GK-01805-NONF awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webpage are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Related Projects
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
Police Response to Violence Against Women - VAW
Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigations
Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias: A Law Enforcement Leader’s Role and Response
Law Enforcement’s Role in Victim Compensation
Training Program on Enhancing Rural Law Enforcement Response to Violence Against Women
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative
Vicarious Trauma Response Initiative
Anti-Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance
Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence and COVID-19
On April 23, 2020, the IACP hosted a Virtual Roundtable on COVID-19 and Law Enforcement Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence. Below is...