WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) all recognize that law enforcement officers, in the course of discharging their daily responsibilities, must deal with a new generation of alternative-powered vehicles, including hybrid and electric vehicles; and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. DOE, more than one million alternative-powered vehicles are projected to be on America's roadways by 2015, and these vehicles increasingly will proliferate on roadways worldwide; and

WHEREAS, hybrid and electric vehicles involved in crashes represent significant safety risks not encountered in those operated by traditional internal combustion engines, for example, they can move unexpectedly, involve high voltage and hazardous chemicals, and have re-ignited days after crashing and burning; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers who respond to emergency incidents involving alternative-powered vehicles should be provided with specific knowledge to assess the risks and with protective measures for both public and officer safety; and

WHEREAS, NFPA—in cooperation with DOE, NHTSA, and IACP—has developed a model training program for law enforcement officers to assist them in safely performing their duties; and

WHEREAS, the "Electric Vehicle Safety Training for Law Enforcement" course was designed with officer safety in mind to educate law enforcement officers in the risks relative to electrically-powered and hybrid vehicles; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP, duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, supports the safe and effective deployment of law enforcement personnel to incidents involving hybrid and electric vehicles and urges law enforcement agencies to provide training to officers via the "Electric Vehicle Safety Training for Law Enforcement" or similar courses.

Submitted by: Highway Safety Committee
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WHEREAS, law enforcement officers frequently are the first responders to arrive at traffic incidents and often work collaboratively with personnel from fire, emergency medical services, transportation/public works, towing and recovery services, and other disciplines at incidents occurring on the highway; and

WHEREAS, one of the leading causes of on-duty, first-responder deaths and serious injuries is being struck by vehicles while working on the highway; and

WHEREAS, traffic incidents often exacerbate congestion and result in secondary crashes; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement leadership and involvement—along with partnerships with fire, emergency medical services, transportation/public works, towing and recovery services, and other disciplines—are integral to the successful establishment of the National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder Training Course; and

WHEREAS, the National TIM Responder Training Course was developed to improve responder safety; to promote safe, quick incident clearance without compromising crash investigations; and to encourage prompt, reliable, interoperable communications by instilling in first responders a common set of core competencies that advance coordinated, multidisciplinary responses; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement executives will be directly involved in implementing all national, state, and local plans that embody National TIM Responder Training; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, agrees to provide leadership for, and encourage the aggressive nationwide deployment of the Strategic Highway Research Program II's (SHRP 2's) National TIM Responder Training Course; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP's involvement in the National TIM Responder Training Course is contingent upon appropriate IACP representation on those key working groups responsible for its deployment.

Submitted by: Highway Safety Committee
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WHEREAS, “Excited Delirium” is not a recognized medical or psychiatric condition, and with various media citing this descriptive phrase as cause of death, police officers have been held to a higher level of diagnostic acuity and standard of care than can be expected within their scope of responsibility, equipment and training; and

WHEREAS, by recognizing “excited delirium” as a medical emergency that may cause death an unnecessary and unwarranted liability be created; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 103rd annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, supports that law enforcement agencies in policies, procedures, and training curricula describe altered mental states and behaviors with accuracy and specificity. Recommended terms include “Toxic Reaction to Cocaine,” “Toxic Reaction to Amphetamine,” or “Altered Mental Status with Combative Features.” In any use of the term “Excited Delirium” care should be exercised to not disconnect it from the precursive drug phrase such as “Drug Induced Excited Delirium.”

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police supports the provisions of quality training and technical support for small and rural law enforcement agencies nationwide, and

WHEREAS, many of the law enforcement officials from rural and suburban areas request assistance in technical training, management training, and informational services, and

WHEREAS, the majority of existing state and federal programs are too often costly for small and rural agencies and are generally designed to serve larger law enforcement agencies, and

WHEREAS, approximately one third of all Americans live in rural areas and 90% of all law enforcement agencies serve populations of less than 25,000 residents and 75% of all law enforcement agencies serve populations of fewer than 10,000 residents, and

WHEREAS, rural crime has increased 53% from the years 1983 to 1997, and

WHEREAS, rural and suburban law enforcement agencies have staffing and financial limitations which make it difficult to properly train and/or address the specific crime-related issues facing their communities and law enforcement administrators; now therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police supports the provisions of no-cost or low-cost training, technical support, and management assistance for small and rural law enforcement agencies on an ongoing basis, and endorse this philosophy as a continuing strategic intent of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

WHEREAS, current issues affect accelerant detection canine programs, namely that

• the proper use of an accelerant detection canine is to assist in the location and selection of samples for laboratory testing;
• a canine alert not confirmed by laboratory analysis should not be considered validated; and
• the use of a canine alert to the possible presence of an ignitable liquid is only one of many indicators used in a preliminary origin and cause investigation, and should not be the sole basis for the investigator’s conclusions; and

WHEREAS, current issues affect explosives detection canines, namely;

• cross contamination of explosives used for training;
• the frequency with which explosives used for training and testing are rotated to ensure the use of high purity samples;
• the selection criteria for explosives used for training and testing; and
• the use of a variety of quantities of explosives for training and testing; and

WHEREAS, the IACP Arson and Explosives Committee has proposed that accelerant and explosives detection canine programs have protocols in place to address these issues; and

WHEREAS, the IACP general membership passed a resolution at its 1993 annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri, to propose that all accelerant and explosives detecting canines should undergo some form of blind testing on an annual basis to ensure their viability, and that this test should be conducted by an independent third party, such as a forensic chemist; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, proposes that the training and testing of accelerant and explosives detection canines be documented in support of their certification, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that a forensic chemist, qualified by virtue of his or her training, be the party that certifies the canine; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the criteria for certification should, where they exist, be performed according to established protocols as outlined by existing applicable professional organizations.

WHEREAS, the growth in public awareness and concern about safety and security matters has placed demands on public law enforcement agencies to meet the escalating number of calls for service; and

WHEREAS, the fiscal resources of those public law enforcement agencies have not increased commensurately with the need for additional service; and

WHEREAS, the growth of the contract and proprietary security services industry, collectively, to more than one million private security officers has been, in part, a response to the increased calls for services to supplement, but not replace, those performed by law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS, although 40 states currently regulate individuals who provide private security officer services, the minimum statutory qualifications for private security officers vary widely among those 40 states, and in the remaining states, there are no statewide qualifications at all as prerequisites for such employment; and

WHEREAS, the role of uniformed private security officers in observing and reporting incidents that may require law enforcement response often makes them a critical preliminary public safety link between private citizens and law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, such a connecting role places private security officers in positions that dictate the need for background screening of applicants to help assure that candidates possess the honesty, integrity and ability to respond appropriately in situations requiring the effective use of interpersonal communication and other incident-management skills; and

WHEREAS, achieving uniform minimum qualifications for private security officers can most effectively and realistically be accomplished through state legislation to regulate those individuals employed as private security officers; and

WHEREAS, because private employers are denied access to criminal history records in the absence of legislative authorization, state regulatory criteria for private security officers should include requirements for criminal records checks both in the state in which application is made and because of the movement of citizens throughout the country, records checks should also be made in the in the federal system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

WHEREAS, consistent background screening practices for all private security officers in compliance with state regulatory requirements will contribute significantly to greater professionalism among their ranks, thereby helping to dispel negative stereotyping of private security officers among law enforcement and the public, and fostering greater willingness from law enforcement to cooperate and work more closely with private security officers for the public's safety; and

WHEREAS, Guidelines for Private Security Officers have been published by the IACP Private Sector Liaison Committee through the collaborative efforts of representatives from contract and proprietary private security users and providers, federal state and local law enforcement and state security regulators, recommending basic qualifications for incorporation into state regulatory programs; and

WHEREAS, these recommendations collectively constitute a "check-list" of the components generally regarded as appropriate minimum qualifications for private security licensing or registration, but may be adapted or otherwise modified to meet specific concerns of individual state legislatures and administrators; and

WHEREAS, the dissemination of these recommendations with the endorsement of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and other contributing organizations can provide an objective model for state legislation and can promote greater consistency in the private security officer qualifications of the various states, thereby furthering the interests of public safety and welfare; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, hereby endorses the Guidelines for Private Security Officers drafted by the IACP's Private Sector Liaison Committee, and supports legislation that incorporates those recommendations, in whole or in major part, or other enabling legislation in furtherance therefore; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP convey its position of support for such legislation to nations and political subdivisions thereof.

WHEREAS, it is known that one-third of all Americans live in rural areas; 90 percent of all law enforcement agencies serve populations of less than 25,000 residents; 75 percent of all law enforcement agencies serve a population of fewer than 10,000 residents, while rural violent crime has increased over 53 percent in the last 10 years; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of chiefs of police and sheriffs, from rural areas across the nation, have verified the need for federal assistance in the areas of management education, technical assistance, and the creation of an information clearinghouse for rural law enforcement agencies because the majority of existing local, state, and federal programs are too costly for small law enforcement agencies and are structured to serve the larger law enforcement agencies of the country; and, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 105th annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, strongly supports competitively awarded federal funding of training programs that are specifically designed to meet the special needs of rural law enforcement executives.

WHEREAS, arson is a serious crime that affects each and every person and can only be reduced when citizens realize the severe damage that arson causes; and

WHEREAS, cities, communities and neighborhoods are blighted by arson which results in erosion of the tax base and loss of employment; and

WHEREAS, arson disrupts our educational and manufacturing systems with the destruction of irreplaceable buildings and artifacts; and

WHEREAS, countless human injuries and deaths result in the needless tragedies caused by acts of arson each year; and

WHEREAS, a large percentage of property insurance premiums are used to cover the losses from arson, and tax dollars must be used for fire extinguishment and the investigation of those malicious acts, which is a senseless waste of our precious resources when the majority of the public must directly bear the burden of an individual’s criminal action; and

WHEREAS, the financial loss annually due to arson reaches billions of dollars, which does not include indirect losses, both emotional and financial, including medical and legal costs, wages, business interruption, fire fighting and law enforcement efforts, which together exceed the direct losses many fold; and

WHEREAS, the first full week of May each year has been designated as “National Arson Awareness Week” by the United States Fire Administration, the International Association of Special Investigations Unit, the Insurance Committee for Arson Control, and the International Association of Arson Investigators; and

WHEREAS, the IACP Arson and Explosives Committee is committed to increasing an awareness of arson enforcement issues within the Association and the general public; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages all members to fully support “National Arson Awareness Week” during the first full week of May of each year, creating a national umbrella of recognition, awareness, understanding, and prevention of the serious arson problem in the United States.

WHEREAS, crime prevention, community safety, and community justice need the support of all public, private, and community agencies to be successful; and WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is a leader in crime prevention and community safety; now therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the IACP is committed to forming active partnerships with organizations that are involved in crime prevention to develop and enhance national crime prevention strategies; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) believes that community safety is everybody’s responsibility and crime prevention is everyone’s business; and

WHEREAS, in the interest of sustaining the quality of life in communities worldwide, the IACP recognizes that the prevention of crime is fundamental to a free and safe society; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP reaffirms the motto, “Community safety is everybody’s responsibility and crime prevention is everyone’s business.”

                                         Support for Continued Crime Prevention Funding                                                              

                                                                    CPC.011.a07

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has been a strong proponent of crime prevention programs for many years; and

WHEREAS, in the past, a variety of opportunities for funding grants, cooperative agreements, training, technical assistance, and equipment have been available, through the Federal government; and

WHEREAS, Crime Prevention has proven to be a cost effective way of crime reduction and improvement of the quality of life for citizens; and

WHEREAS, the current climate of fiscal restraint places programs at risk; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, hereby strongly urges the elected representatives to place an enhanced priority on increasing the current level of funding for crime prevention initiatives during their deliberations.

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WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs recognizes that the proportion of the population becoming senior citizens is increasing at a significant rate in many countries of the world; and

WHEREAS, senior citizens present a unique challenge, as well as an important source of support, to the law enforcement community; and

WHEREAS, the fear of crime and certain kinds of criminal victimization appear to be greater for the elderly; and

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon law enforcement agencies to formulate and execute policies and procedures to provide protection and services to this segment of the population; and

WHEREAS, every police agency is charged with the duty to assure the public sense of safety and security that, in turn, affects the quality of life of its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, crime prevention provides a viable framework for the delivery of police service that focuses limited resources on issues specific to individual communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, will hereby take a leadership role in raising the consciousness of the law enforcement community to the needs and concerns of senior citizens; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP will encourage and actively promote cooperative, coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to address the criminal victimization of the elderly.