Managing Sex Offenders: Citizens Supporting Law Enforcement highlights relevant sex offender legislation impacting law enforcement, identifies emerging operational challenges for law enforcement executives, and offers examples of how law enforcement agencies are using citizens to enhance and support their sex offender management and enforcement efforts.

Sex Offenders in the Community: Enforcement and Prevention Strategies for Law Enforcement provides an overview of the sex offender population, identifies various law enforcement prevention and enforcement strategies, features specific examples from jurisdictions around the country, and includes sample departmental forms and documents.

Framing a Law Enforcement Response: Addressing Community Concerns about Sex Offenders, provides talking points to help officers frame an agency response to ten frequently asked questions regarding sex offenders.

This policy provides guidance for the registration, public notification, and address verification of sex offenders, and guidance for personnel conducting community education practices. 

The following policy priorities have been designated as the global issues most important to the association. These policy priorities were developed by the IACP governing body, with input from the law enforcement field. This document is meant to aid IACP members in discussions with elected officials regarding key criminal justice related issues.

Cyberbullying is bullying through technology, such as computers and cell phones. Law enforcement officers are increasingly confronted with cyberbullying complaints due to the prevalence of technology used by children and youth, and new legislation and laws addressing these types of incidents. Some cyberbullying incidents may warrant criminal action while others may not. Either way, law enforcement officers should be prepared to receive cyberbullying complaints and help communities address the issue.

Preparing and Responding to Cyberbullying: Tips for Law Enforcement

The IACP and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) jointly produced a tool for law enforcement titled, Preparing and Responding to Cyberbullying: Tips for Law Enforcement. It was developed in 2014 under a project supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.

This tool includes more than 20 recommendations to address cyberbullying from subject matter experts working in law enforcement, youth trauma, mental health, computer crimes, victim services, and education. It provides guidance on cyberbullying prevention, preparation, response, and investigation to law enforcement administrators and first responders, and it is available in both English and Spanish.

Refer to this resource to prepare for cyberbullying complaints and help communities address the issue.

Additional Resources

Use these resources to learn about cyberbullying and what you can do to prepare for and handle incidents.

• Cyberbullying & Sexting: Law Enforcement Perceptions from the Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Educational resources from NetSmartz Workshop - List of contacts by state for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces
• List of contacts by state for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces
• Bullying and cyberbullying legislation guide from the Cyberbullying Research Center
• Cyberbullying resources from the U.S. Government
• Reporting to Internet Crime Complaint Center

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at its 105th Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, passed a resolution strongly opposing ballot initiatives to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes, as these initiatives are inconsistent with established scientific and medical protocols; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at its 104th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, passed a resolution urging all governments and governing bodies to vigorously protect the health and safety of their citizens through an adherence to established medical and scientific criteria as the sole basis for determining when a dangerous drug has a bona fide medical purpose; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at its 103rd Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, passed a resolution strongly opposing ballot initiatives in Arizona (Proposition 200) and California (Proposition 215) that would legalize the distribution and/or use of Schedule I drugs; and

WHEREAS, one reason for continuing opposition to such ballot initiatives, particularly, is the fact that not one national health organization accepts marijuana or other Schedule I drugs as a medicine, and science-based research indicates that marijuana or other Schedule I drugs have no medical benefit whatsoever; and it is neither rational nor compassionate to provide a harmful, addictive drug with no scientifically proven medical efficacy; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute of Medicine, in a recently completed study of the medical benefits of marijuana, has reaffirmed that the effects of cannabinoids on the symptoms studied are generally modest, and smoking marijuana results in the delivery of harmful substances, including most of those toxic substances found in tobacco smoke; and this study also affirmed that there are more effective medical delivery systems than smoking marijuana; and this study reaffirms our belief that modern medicine does not advocate the smoking of toxic substances and the inhaling of their smoke; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington have voted to approve the use, cultivation or accessibility of marijuana for medicinal purposes; and

WHEREAS, the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, and New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia, have pending legislation regarding the use, cultivation or accessibility of marijuana for medicinal purposes; and

WHEREAS, the states of Alaska and Nevada have initiatives regarding the use, accessibility and regulation of marijuana on the ballot for Election 2000; and

WHEREAS, we continue to believe that the best process to determine the medical efficacy of any substance is through an established medical and scientific testing and evaluation system that has served the citizens of the United States well and resulted in the highest medical services in the world; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 107th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, reaffirms its opposition to any attempts to replace the established medical and scientific criteria for determining when a dangerous drug has a bona fide medical purpose and, therefore, opposes these laws and initiatives as inconsistent with established scientific and medical protocols for establishing the medical value of dangerous drugs; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly urges that all citizens recognize that legalization will lead to greater availability of drugs, and increased use of drugs, associated criminal behavior, and costs to society and vote against such initiatives and act to discourage the effectiveness of existing legislation that legalizes the distribution, use and regulation of Schedule I drugs.

Opposition to the Sale of Armor-Piercing and Tracer Ammunition

Submitted by the IACP Board of Directors and the Firearms Committee

BOD.027.t2017

WHEREAS, there is no sporting or other purpose for armor-piercing ammunition or tracer ammunition, other than overwhelming the protections available to law enforcement in the course of their work; and

WHEREAS, such ammunition simply should not be available for civilian use; and

WHEREAS, legislation currently under consideration in the United States Congress (H.R. 3668 - The Sportsman Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act) would reduce the ability of government agencies to prevent or prohibit the sale of armor-piercing ammunition; and

WHEREAS, current federal law does not define "armor-piercing" in the practical terms of a handgun round's actual performance—i.e., whether it is capable of piercing ballistic armor—but in terms of round content and weight; and

WHEREAS, H.R. 3668 further weakens that standard by stating that to be classified as armor piercing, ammunition must have been specifically designed by the manufacturer for that purpose, regardless of whether or not it actually can penetrate body armor; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP opposes H.R. 3668 and supports legislation and policies that will prohibit the sale or transfer of armor piercing ammunition; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP believes that current federal law should be modified to establish that the process utilized to determine whether a round of ammunition is armor piercing should include performance based testing conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

WHEREAS, the IACP has a productive and continuing relationship with key elements of private security relating to public safety, and

WHEREAS, private industry now employs more than twice as many security officer personnel as the combined commissioned strength of all federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement, and

WHEREAS, as many as ten states do not sufficiently oversee private security officer business practices via regulatory controls which often block private security firms from conducting fingerprint based criminal records checks, and

WHEREAS, the Department of Defense has a pool of nearly 2,500,000 members requiring security clearance background checks, and

WHEREAS, many other public and private sector activities involving educators, care providers and volunteers, as well as employees holding sensitive positions, need the benefits of fingerprint based records checks, and

WHEREAS, with the launching of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and the establishment of the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Compact), there now exists both the technology and empowered governing body to guide this important function, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages every state to provide a process through which those individuals who should be screened through fingerprint-based records checks are effectively reviewed as a basis for their entrustment, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the efforts of the Compact and encourages uniformity in state legislation guiding fingerprint-based criminal records checks that appropriately strengthens public safety and national defense.

WHEREAS, each year approximately 42,000 Americans die in traffic crashes and another three million are injured; and

WHEREAS, strong traffic laws provide law enforcement officers at the state, county and local level with the tools they need to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce property damage in traffic crashes; and

WHEREAS, traffic stops regularly result in criminal arrests, drug interdiction and criminal investigations; and

WHEREAS, traffic laws have historically been primary offenses which permit officers to take appropriate enforcement action when violations are observed; and

WHEREAS, a trend is emerging to designate certain traffic laws as secondary offenses that restrict enforcement unless a motorist is stopped for a another primary violation; and

WHEREAS, studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that voluntary compliance by the motoring public is significantly lower for secondary enforcement laws; and

WHEREAS, secondary enforcement laws diminish the ability of law enforcement agencies to prevent crime and apprehend criminals on our nation’s streets and highways; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police opposes the adoption and passage of any traffic laws which provide for secondary enforcement; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has many members who manage law enforcement public aircraft operations; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement aviation operations are critical to an agency in their ability to provide life-saving service and crime deterrence to their constituents; and 

WHEREAS, Congress passed and the President signed Public Laws 103-411, 105-137 and 106-181, which severely restricted law enforcement agencies' ability to effectively utilize their aircraft in the performance of their mission; and

WHEREAS, the ostensible purpose for enactment of these laws was the promotion of aviation safety and these laws accomplished no appreciable aviation safety purpose; and

WHEREAS, the laws do not address the important issues of allowing the appropriate level of training for law enforcement personnel to obtain Federal Aviation Administration Pilot Certificates, the maintenance of acceptable pilot proficiency standards and the minimum level of acceptable maintenance standards for aircraft not certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration, or commonly referred to as “military surplus aircraft”; and

WHEREAS, the IACP in cooperation with the National Sheriffs' Association, the Airborne Law Enforcement Association and the National Association of State Foresters support amendments to Public Law 103-411, 105-137 and 106-181 to correct the laws' deficiencies; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP urges passage of legislation that would (1) allow for full pilot training to be considered when obtaining Federal Aviation Administration pilot certificates and in maintaining pilot proficiency; (2) mandate that pilots of public aircraft be Federal Aviation Administration certificated pilots; and (3) establish minimum maintenance standards for non Federal Aviation Administration certificated aircraft; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police encourages its membership to contact their Members of Congress to urge their support of such legislation.

WHEREAS, the community policing philosophy promotes the principles and strategies of partnerships, problem-solving, prevention, and organizational change to effectively respond to crime, fear of crime and community quality of life issues; and

WHEREAS, the Public Safety Partnerships and Community Policing Act of 1994 charged the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) with the implementation of the Act; and

WHEREAS, the COPS Office provides various opportunities for funding grants, cooperative agreements, training, technical assistance, equipment, applied research and other services to implement the Act; and

WHEREAS, significant progress has been made towards the integration of the community policing philosophy in agencies and communities throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, the Act will sunset in FY 2000; and

WHEREAS, successful strategies which have been implemented risk elimination due to the depletion of funding assistance; and

WHEREAS, while much has been accomplished, there is much more work that must be completed in order to advance and develop quality policing services into and beyond the 21st century; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP Community Policing Committee recommends that the IACP Board of Directors support continued and ongoing federal funding assistance that provides recipient agencies choices for community policing technology, training, research, technical assistance, personnel, and/or funding for retention of previously funded personnel; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that there be no reduction in other resource programs such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant program, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP develops and implements an aggressive legislative strategy to support this resolution.