Resources
IACP's resources are aimed at helping law enforcement executives do their jobs better and cover a variety of topics, including professional development, leadership, management, and supervision, as well as hot topics such as ethics.
Resources
2019 IACP Annual Report
IACP’s 2019 Annual Report showcases all that has been accomplished in 2019.
Resources on Developmental Disabilities
These resources discuss the importance of understanding developmental disabilities and highlight common encounters officers may have with individuals with developmental disabilities in the field.
Mental Health Conditions & Developmental Disabilities: Why Know the Difference
This two-page resource describes mental health conditions and developmental disabilities, common behaviors and characteristics, and the differences between mental health conditions and developmental disabilities.
Developmental Disabilities: What Law Enforcement Officers Need to Know
This two-page resource provides examples of law enforcement encounters with people with developmental disabilities, discusses how understanding more about disabilities leads to safe and effective interactions, and provides examples of possible behaviors of people with developmental disabilities and recommended responses.
Communication with Victims (Agencies with Victim Services Personnel)
Words used to talk to and about victims are vitally important. Agencies are encouraged to adopt victim-centered, trauma-informed language as part of ELERV Strategy implementation. Using this language can decrease shame and encourage reporting and victim engagement. Victim outreach letters and other materials should be worded in ways that convey support of victim participation. Agencies can adapt these communication templates to ensure victims receive timely information and are quickly connected to law enforcement and victim services personnel.
These templates are intended to provide sample language and content. These templates should be customized to fit agency needs and should be carefully reviewed to ensure information is consistent with requirements within the agency and local jurisdiction.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
Communication with Victims (Agencies without Victim Services Personnel)
Words used to talk to and about victims are vitally important. Agencies are encouraged to adopt victim-centered, trauma-informed language as part of ELERV Strategy implementation. Using this language can decrease shame and encourage reporting and victim engagement. Victim outreach letters and other materials should be worded in ways that convey support of victim participation. Agencies can adapt these communication templates to ensure victims receive timely information and are quickly connected to law enforcement and supportive services in the community.
These templates are intended to provide sample language and content. These templates should be customized to fit agency needs and should be carefully reviewed to ensure information is consistent with requirements within the agency and local jurisdiction.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
Baseline and Follow-Up Surveys
Surveys can be a cost-effective tool to gather information from multiple stakeholders (e.g., internal agency personnel, crime victims, community members, community partners). Demographics, attitudes, victimization impact, access to victim services, and other key factors can be captured. Survey anonymity may encourage participant openness and honesty. Conducting follow-up surveys can help monitor progress and identify ongoing needs. Agencies can adapt these survey templates to gather vital information and support ELERV Strategy implementation.
These templates are intended to provide sample language and content. These templates should be customized to fit agency needs and should be carefully reviewed to ensure information is consistent with requirements within the agency and local jurisdiction.
Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV)
Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services (LEV)
ELERV - Training
The value of victim response training for sworn and professional staff cannot be overstated. Research and best practices for serving victims are constantly evolving. Training that reflects current information is critical. Prioritizing cross-training (both internal and external) is encouraged.
Trained personnel working with victims should be able to:
- Demonstrate concern and empathy for victims.
- Properly identify basic victim needs.
- Apply the agency’s victim response policy to their role and duties.
- Understand basic victim rights.
- Identify resources for victims and make appropriate referrals.
This single-page document highlights important information from this section of the ELERV Strategy. The quick read format makes it perfect for roll-call training and meetings alike.
Download the ELERV Training Overview in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide - Resource Webpage
The IACP and the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide continue their commitment to reducing officer suicide deaths. This page provides information, resources, and contacts to help agencies with suicide prevention and provide support after a suicide death or attempt. If you need resources or information on preventing law enforcement suicide, supporting officer mental health, or responding after an officer suicide death occurs, please visit the links below.
If you need assistance finding resources tailored to your specific circumstances, please reach out using this link. Your request will be responded to within 48 hours with contacts, resources, or information we have that may be helpful.
This webpage will help law enforcement agencies build and adopt comprehensive, safe, and appropriate suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention practices. Agencies should support sustained, long-term suicide prevention efforts including wellness and mental health efforts. Effective suicide prevention also involves responding appropriately after a suicide death. Evidence shows that following a suicide death, those personally impacted are at heightened risk for suicide. Therefore, it is necessary to provide postvention support and response with consistent comprehensive suicide prevention. Suicide prevention is comprehensive and every component is a crucial part in working to minimize officer suicide.
If you are feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting yourself, or are concerned that someone you know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is completely confidential. Other 24/7 resources are included here:
Hotlines
| National Suicide Prevention Hotline | 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) |
| 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline | 9-8-8 |
| COP LINE | 1-800-267-5463 (1-800-COPLINE) |
| Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 |
| Safe Call Now | (206) 459-3020 |
| Cop 2 Cop | 1-866-COP-2COP (1-866-267-2267) |
National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide - Resource Library
This database contains a multitude of relevant resources compiled by members of the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide. Select resources from this library can be found in the tabs below.
Prevention
Suicide prevention refers to the actions or measures taken to minimize the likelihood of suicide or suicidal behaviors. Everyone can contribute to suicide prevention no matter their rank, assignment, or time on the job. By conducting a needs assessment to determine how well health and wellness are currently being addressed, agencies may then implement a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Emphasis should be placed on having a plan and policy in place before an event occurs. These plans and policies should include suicide prevention, intervention, and response to a suicide death. A comprehensive approach should include the coordination of sustainable support and resources, and therefore identification of individuals who will be responsible for ongoing implementation and who will sustain the initiative and address challenges is necessary. Support and resources should include, but are not limited to, culturally competent mental health professionals, peer support teams, chaplains, and trusted, accessible resources. Consider implementing annual mental health check-ins, along with the required annual physical. Policies should reflect an agency culture that encourages help seeking, supporting one another, and engaging in difficult conversations.
Objectives of Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Include: Support mental health needs, increase peer supports and comradery, develop resilience skills, encourage communication, foster a help-seeking culture, and ensure department culture aligns with policy and procedure.
Resources
- Assessment Tool
- Comprehensive Framework for Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention
- Employee Mental Health - Policy Documents
- Peer Support as a Powerful Tool in Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention
- Policy Guidance for Law Enforcement Agencies
- Providing Officers Support through Police Chaplains
- Suicide Prevention Infographic: Warning Signs
Intervention
Suicide intervention refers to the action or actions taken by others to prevent a person who is experiencing suicidal thoughts or contemplating suicidal behaviors. The goal of suicide intervention should be preventing the individual from dying by suicide, directing them to appropriate mental health services, and supporting short and long-term recovery. Intervention may be necessary at specific times such as after a critical incident, during job-specific challenges, or when an individual officer is showing signs of suicide risk.
Objectives of Suicide Intervention Include: Support immediate mental health needs, provide crisis intervention and stabilization, engage in appropriate and necessary communication, ensure safety of individual and others (if necessary), adjust environmental circumstances as needed, connect to mental health treatment and crisis supports as needed, consider lethal means safety, if necessary, ensure appropriate protocol for fitness for duty evaluation is followed.
Resources
Postvention
The tragic death of a law enforcement officer by suicide requires immediate and ongoing action to support the department, family, and loved ones as they process and work through the impact of loss. Implementing a comprehensive postvention response is a critical component of suicide prevention. Agency response efforts should range from immediate to long term. While it is difficult to plan for a tragedy such as an officer suicide, it is important to be prepared should this happen. Postvention addresses the immediate needs that must be met (e.g., supporting other officers through the crisis), long-term responses to an officer suicide and informs ongoing prevention efforts. Additionally, these key considerations are important after an officer suicide attempt or suicidal behaviors.
Objectives for suicide postvention include: Consider and support family keeping in mind their wishes, identify and reach out to those personally impacted, deliver appropriate and timely communication acknowledging the complex factors of suicide, provide effective and compassionate support, support agency and unit stabilization, promote healing and post-traumatic growth, reduce risk of suicidal thinking and behavior for those impacted.
Resources
- After a Suicide in Blue: A Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies
- Chief's Checklist - Responding after an Officer Suicide
- Grief and Loss - Helping Officers Recover and Heal
- Grief and Loss - Helping Officers Recover and Heal - Guidance for Agency Leaders
- Leadership Checklist - 6 Things Command Staff Can Say After a Suicide
- Leadership Checklist - Having Conversations with a Distressed Officer
Officer Safety and Wellness Resources by Language
Many resources related to officer safety and wellness have been translated into a variety of languages and are compiled here for ease of access. As further resources are developed and translated, they will be made available on this page.
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Arabic
ELERV - Performance Monitoring
Measuring the progress of new initiatives is essential. Capturing data and monitoring internal and external performance measures can help build an implementation roadmap. This can also help identify gaps and opportunities to enhance response to victims.
This single-page document highlights important information from this section of the ELERV Strategy. The quick read format makes it perfect for roll-call training and meetings alike.
Download the ELERV Performance Monitoring Overview in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Options for Community Engagement and Dialogue
This resource includes a range of community-police engagement programs, policies, and strategies that can authentically and organically build understanding, trust, confidence, respect, and diversity of thought.
ELERV - Overview
The ELERV Strategy’s overall goal is to create an agency-wide philosophical shift, focusing on identifying and responding to victims’ needs. Federal, state, local, campus, and tribal law enforcement leaders are introduced to concepts and benefits of enhancing their response to victims of all crimes. The ELERV Strategy is customizable, and agencies can start small and build over time. Advancements in any area of the ELERV Strategy can enhance an agency’s overall response to victims.
This single-page document highlights important information from this section of the ELERV Strategy. The quick read format makes it perfect for roll-call training and meetings alike.
Download the ELERV Overview in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
ELERV - Leadership
Building a victim-centered organization is a top-down effort. It requires a clear vision of the future. Implementing the ELERV Strategy will require some law enforcement agencies to make only minor changes to existing practices. Others may need to shift their overall approach to meeting victims’ needs. Achieving lasting change starts and ends with the expressed and modeled values of agency leadership.
This single-page document highlights important information from this section of the ELERV Strategy. The quick read format makes it perfect for roll-call training and meetings alike.
Download the ELERV Leadership Overview in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
