Placing Vehicle Identification Number on Component Parts of All Vehicles Submitted by: Vehicle Theft Committee
vtc.001.A11

WHEREAS, according to the FBI's Crime in the United States 2009, motor vehicle theft continues to decrease, declining in 2009 17.1 percent over 2008, 35.7 percent over 2005, and 31.5 percent over 2000; and

WHEREAS, according to the FBI's Crime in the United States, the number of motor vehicle thefts cleared by arrest or exceptional means also has declined from 14.1 percent in 2000, to 13.0 percent in 2005, and to 12.4 in 2009; and

WHEREAS, according to the FBI's Crime in the United States, recoveries of stolen vehicles also have declined from 62.2 percent in 2000, to 59.0 percent in 2006, and to 56.8 percent in 2009, indicating that fewer stolen vehicles are being recovered; and

WHEREAS, vehicle identification numbers (VINs) have aided law enforcement in solving such major crimes as the 1993 bombing of New York's World Trade Center, the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the 2010 attempted car bombing in Times Square, as well as in identifying countless stolen vehicles that subsequently were returned to their rightful owners and in prosecuting those involved in their theft; and

WHEREAS, those vehicles stolen in the United States and valued at $5.2 billion annually often are dismantled after theft, and their component parts are shipped to foreign countries or are sold in various venues, including eBay® and Craigslist; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement often is hampered from identifying the owners of component parts of stolen vehicles and from prosecuting those involved in their theft because 49 CFR part 541—Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard (10/01/09 edition)—does not require that the VIN be inscribed or affixed to all component parts; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, in conjunction with International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, calls upon the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to initiate actions to eliminate from § 49 CFR 541.3—Application—those exceptions that prevent inscribing or affixing the VIN on the component parts of all vehicles.

WHEREAS, aircraft operated by law enforcement agencies play a vital role in supporting police operations, including: search and rescue; medical evacuation; prisoner transportation, etc.; and

WHEREAS, government owned aircraft are generally not regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration which has resulted in a disparity in the safety and efficiency of operations; and

WHEREAS, accreditation programs can improve the safety and delivery of services by maintaining a body of standards developed by highly experienced police aviation practitioners; and

WHEREAS, the Airborne Law Enforcement Association recognized the need to improve safety and efficiency and created the Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission; and

WHEREAS, the Aviation Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police also recognizes the need to improve the level of safety and efficiency of police aviation and has been an integral part of the process to develop the comprehensive standards and accreditation process that will ultimately recognize professional aviation excellence; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has a long history of supporting law enforcement accreditation dating back to 1979 with the creation of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA); now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California congratulates the Airborne Law Enforcement Association for their effort to establish an accreditation program and encourages law enforcement agencies that operate aircraft to voluntarily demonstrate that they meet the established set of professional standards.

 

Submitted by the Aviation Committee

AVI.018.a08

SUPPORT FOR THE VOLUNTEERS IN POLICE SERVICE PROGRAM

Submitted by: Police Administration Committee

PAC.020.a08

 

WHEREAS, In 2002, the President of the United States, created the USA Freedom Corps to foster volunteerism, to create a culture of service, and to establish partnerships with national service organizations; and

WHEREAS, the Citizen Corps was created as a component of the USA Freedom Corps to assist in the coordination of volunteer services within communities throughout the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program was created as one of five Citizen Corps partner programs; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) manages and implements the Volunteers in Police Service Program in partnership with, and on behalf of, the White House Office of the USA Freedom Corps and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice;and

WHEREAS, the Volunteers in Police Service Program has registered over 1,700 law enforcement volunteer programs since the program inception; and

WHEREAS, collectively these volunteers contribute several million hours, in a wide variety of ways to significantly contribute to law enforcement efforts worldwide; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police provides training programs and technical service support for law enforcement agencies to further the development, sustainment, and recognition of volunteer programs; and

WHEREAS, these volunteer programs support the law enforcement community, enhancing services provided by law enforcement officers and agencies in the communities they serve; and

WHEREAS, the Volunteers in Police Service Programs ultimate goal is to enhance the capacity of state and local law enforcement to engage volunteers in lasting partnerships that improve public safety and quality of life in the communities they serve; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police annually recognizes the selected law enforcement agencies for Outstanding Achievement in Law Enforcement Volunteer Programs; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes the importance of the efforts of the law enforcement community in developing new volunteer programs, and encourages the growth and sustainment of current programs; and, now therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California calls upon all its members to consider the many ways volunteers can help support law enforcement efforts, in areas such as administrative support, victim assistance, crime prevention, enforcement endeavors, public awareness, and emergency response, through organized, nationally registered Volunteers in Police Service programs in their organizations; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls for the continued federal funding of the efforts to foster growth in the number of police volunteers, volunteer program activities, and law enforcement volunteer programs through the USA Freedom Corps, Citizen Corps and its partner programs, such as the Volunteers in Police Service Program.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police Recognizes Railroad Police Officers as Bona Fide Law Enforcement Officers in the United States
Submitted by: Railroad Police Section
rr.005.A11

WHEREAS, railroad police officers have been respected members of the law enforcement community in the United States for over 150 years; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officer's interstate law enforcement authority is derived from federal statute 49 USC 28101; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officers agents are responsible for the protection of - (1) employees, passengers, or patrons of the rail carrier; (2) property, equipment, and facilities operated, or maintained by the rail carrier; (3) property moving in interstate or foreign commerce and (4) personnel, equipment, and material moving by rail that are vital to the national defense; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officers are dedicated, highly trained certified law enforcement professionals who risk their lives in a variety of situations such as criminal law enforcement, protection of the national defense, hazardous material releases, or terrorist attacks; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officers are routinely subjected to the same perils as their federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, which has throughout history resulted in their own injuries or deaths; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, more than 175 railroad police officers have been killed in the line of duty in the United States; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to recognize railroad police officers as bona fide law enforcement officers in the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes railroad police officers as bona fide law enforcement officers in the United States.

Pretrial Release and Detention Process
Submitted by: Research Advisory Committee
rac.006.A11

 

WHEREAS, the execution of four Lakewood Washington police officers by a dangerous convicted felon previously charged with assaulting two deputy sheriffs and subsequently approved for pretrial release for yet another offense brought to light the critical need to conduct comprehensive dangerousness assessments for all arrestees before they are released on any pretrial status; and

 

WHEREAS, the IACP, in collaboration with the Pretrial Justice Institute and the Bureau of Justice Assistance held a roundtable of law enforcement and justice leaders to further explore this critical and urgent officer and public safety concern, resulting in the publication entitled Law Enforcement's Leadership Role in the Pretrial Release and Detention Process; and

 

WHEREAS, a primary role of government is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens, and government leaders are responsible to protect the lives of police officers serving their nation; and

 

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the criminal justice system to continually evaluate the impact of policies, procedures and common practices by developing standards that support individual rights, crime prevention, and public safety; and

 

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has held that danger to the community is a legitimate consideration when setting bail or pretrial release conditions; and

 

WHEREAS, numerous jurisdictions set bail according to the offense title without taking into consideration any verified or validated information regarding individual risks posed by the individual defendant; and

 

WHEREAS, many states have no legal option to detain unmanageably dangerous pretrial defendants other than by setting high cash or surety bail in the hopes the defendant cannot pay; and

 

WHEREAS, a government run or government funded pretrial services program designed through a rigorous process of applied research and performance measurement is fundamental to the determination of a meaningful and reliable dangerousness assessment for use by the judiciary; and

 

WHEREAS, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, two million defendants are released annually from pretrial detention by approximately 14,000 commercial bail agents nationwide; and

 

WHEREAS, according to Federal Bureau of Investigations' Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted data, 25% of offenders who feloniously killed law enforcement officers during the period 1995 – 2009 were under supervision of the judicial system at the time of the murder; now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calls for a national law enforcement summit to address the need for bail reform and in particular the urgent need for more robust pretrial services that conduct dangerousness assessments for use by the judiciary when considering pretrial release as detailed within the publication launched by IACP in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Pretrial Justice Institute, titled Law Enforcement's Leadership Role in the Pretrial Release and Detention Process.

SUPPORT FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING Submitted by: University and College Police Section UPS.021.a08 WHEREAS, the IACP is the world's oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of police executives comprised of many agencies who serve university and college populations; and WHEREAS, the impact of the rampage shootings on several universities and colleges in 2007 and 2008 continue to be felt across the country and world; these incidents along with other active shooter incidents have impacted our awareness of safety and security at institutions of higher education; and WHEREAS, a number of states, other governmental organizational and non-governmental organizations have convened groups to examine the lessons learned from the tragedy at Virginia Tech and other aspects of safety and security; and WHEREAS, the University and College Police Section of the IACP applauds these on-going efforts and believes the national attention that is focused on this issue presents an opportunity to initiate a national dialogue to strengthen university and college public safety, security and policing efforts to enhance the protection of the estimated 15 million students attending the 4,200 institutions of higher education in the United States; and WHEREAS, there are many recommendations that arise from these lessons learned, The University and College Police Section of the IACP has identified 20 specific recommendations to enhance safety and security and reinforce key goals and objectives in mitigating and responding to threats at institutions of higher education; and, WHEREAS, University and colleges should work with their local government partners and law enforcement agencies to improve plans for mutual aid in all areas of emergency planning and critical incident response and adopt proactive policing technologies, including that of victim services; and use the National Incident System (NIMS) as the framework to manage emergencies; and WHEREAS, campus law enforcement and public safety authorities must clearly understand their authority in addressing involuntary hospitalization procedures for members of the community they interact with who suffer from acute mental health disorders; and WHEREAS, institutions of higher education should have behavioral threat assessment team that includes representatives from law enforcement, human resources, student and academic affairs, legal counsel, and mental health functions; and WHEREAS, campus law enforcement and public safety organizations should develop collaborative, supportive relationships with victim advocacy services in order to respond directly and immediately to the needs of victims of crime; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California calls upon its members to ensure that the leaders at institutions of higher education are made aware of these calls to action for adequate response in active shooter and other emergency situations. FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP supports continued safety and security measures be taken at all education institutions.

WHEREAS, the first responsibility of government, as well as government leaders, is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens and the lives of those of the officers who have dedicated their lives to protecting their communities; and

WHEREAS, it is their responsibility continually evaluate and develop techniques that will protect officers and provide them with the equipment and training that will protect them when they are confronted by someone who will not hesitate to injure or use deadly physical force against them; and

WHEREAS, in order to fulfill their duties and responsibilities of protecting their communities, law enforcement officers must first protect themselves; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 1,626 law enforcement officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty between 2000 and 2009; and

WHEREAS, data published by the NLEOMF indicates that there were 565 law enforcement officers killed with a firearm from 2000-2009; and,

WHEREAS, soft body armor is available to law enforcement personnel to protect against life threatening or potentially disabling injuries; and

WHEREAS, according to FBI LEOKA data, 37% of law enforcement officers feloniously killed during the time period of 2000 – 2009 were not wearing body armor; and

WHEREAS, the IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club has also documented that since 1987, more than 3,000 law enforcement officers have survived life threatening injuries because they were protected by their body armor; and

WHEREAS, according to a report by Bureau of Justice Assistance, only 60 percent of agencies have mandatory wear policies for body armor; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calls on all law enforcement executives to immediately develop and implement mandatory body armor wear policies for their departments; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP understands that officers engaged in certain non-patrol activities may not be able to wear body armor during particular aspects of their assignments and that each department will need to determine those circumstances and situations where wearing body armor would be inappropriate.

 

Submitted by: Executive Committee

ec.007.A11

WHEREAS, the first responsibility of government, as well as government leaders, is to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens and the lives of those of the officers who have dedicated their lives to protecting their communities; and

WHEREAS, it is their responsibility continually evaluate and develop techniques that will protect officers and provide them with the equipment and training that will protect them when they are confronted by someone who will not hesitate to injure or use deadly physical force against them; and

WHEREAS, in order to fulfill their duties and responsibilities of protecting their communities, law enforcement officers must first protect themselves; and

WHEREAS, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 1,626 law enforcement officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty between 2000 and 2009; and

WHEREAS, the NLEOMF indicates that the cause of 69 percent of law enforcement deaths between 2000 and 2009 (1,118) are from motor vehicle crashes and firearm related incidents; and,

WHEREAS; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that fatal traffic incidents in 2010 were the leading cause of officer deaths for the 13th straight year; and,

WHEREAS, in a recent report, NHTSA found that at least 42 percent of the officers killed in traffic crashes from 1980 - 2008 were not wearing seat belts; and,

WHEREAS, the issue of seat belt usage represents a critical officer safety issue and imperative that police executives take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of their officers; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calls on all law enforcement executives to immediately develop and implement mandatory seat belt for their departments.

 

Submitted by the Executive Committee
ec.008.A11

Adopted at the 119th Annual Conference

San Diego, CA
October 3, 2012

Support of the SafeShield Initiative
Submitted by: Patrol and Tactical Operations Committee
PTO.005.a12

WHEREAS, the number of police officers killed and injured in the line of duty each year is a concern for the future of safe policing; and

WHEREAS, SafeShield, originally created by the Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police over ten years ago, is the IACP's umbrella officer safety initiative dedicated to building zero tolerance for officer deaths and injuries within the law enforcement community; and

WHEREAS, SafeShield encapsulates all officer safety efforts within the IACP in order to showcase officer safety as the top priority of the IACP; and

WHEREAS, all IACP projects have a tie to officer safety, including grant work, training, model policies, and research; and

WHEREAS, the IACP's National Center for the Prevention of Violence Against the Police is a keystone project that focuses on analysis of data to prevent felonious assaults against police; and

WHEREAS, the efforts of other organizations, such as Below 100, to raise awareness regarding line of duty deaths and injuries is commendable; and

WHEREAS, this resolution is jointly supported by the Division of State Association of Chiefs of Police and the IACP's National Center for Violence Against Police Officers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California calls upon each state within the United States of America and the heads of all Law Enforcement agencies to actively support the IACP's SafeShield goal of zero tolerance for officer deaths and injuries.

Recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the SafeShield Initiative
Submitted by: the Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police
Sacop.020.A11

WHEREAS, in 2002, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police (SACOP) created an initiative dedicated to protecting our nation's law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to protecting our nation's law enforcement officers, SafeShield's organizing philosophy is that law enforcement leaders cannot accept the proposition that accidents or injuries are a reality of the law enforcement profession; and

WHEREAS, law enforcement leaders cannot accept the proposition that accidents or injuries are a reality of the law enforcement profession, and

WHEREAS, the only acceptable belief is zero officers killed or injured, and

WHEREAS, it is the belief of SafeShield that although Chiefs have limited control over dangerous situations an officer may face in the line of duty, they can control the outcomes through comprehensive planning, proper preparation and the use of protective equipment, and

WHEREAS, in 2006, the membership of the IACP adopted a SACOP resolution, "A Vision for Officer Safety," that embraced the philosophy of the SafeShield Initiative and the vital role that chiefs must play, and

WHEREAS, the resolution states that law enforcement leadership must set the tone to create an environment in which officer safety is the top priority of every department, and

WHEREAS, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the SafeShield Initiative, and

WHEREAS, SafeShield serves as the umbrella officer safety initiative of the IACP working in concert with all of the officer safety related projects of the IACP, now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP encourages all members to join in the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the SafeShield Initiative, and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP urges all law enforcement personnel and agencies to take the fundamental and critical steps of wearing body armor and using seat belts to protect them and to ensure that they return home safely at the end of the day.

WHEREAS, our nations’ security is a shared responsibility and every citizen plays a critical role in identifying and reporting suspicious activities and threats; and,

WHEREAS, in July 2010, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), launched the "If You See Something, Say Something ™” public awareness campaign nationwide and,

WHEREAS, “If You See Something, Say Something™” is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime to transportation and law enforcement authorities; and;

WHEREAS, the “If You See Something, Say Something ™” was originally developed by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2002 following the September 11, 2001 attacks and;

WHEREAS, the DHS nationwide launch of the "If You See Something, Say Something™" campaign is being done in conjunction with the rollout of the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI), and,

WHEREAS, the NSI is a-government wide effort to develop, evaluate, and implement common processes and policies for gathering, documenting, processing, analyzing, and sharing information about terrorism-related suspicious activities; and,

WHEREAS, the NSI is being implemented by the Department of Justice throughout the United States in partnership with state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. and;

WHEREAS, the NSI and the “If You See Something, Say Something” programs will complement each other and further assist state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in their efforts to protect their communities from harm.

WHEREAS, the public should report only suspicious behavior and situations (e.g., an unattended backpack in a public place or someone trying to break into a restricted area) rather than beliefs, thoughts, ideas, expressions, associations, or speech unrelated to terrorism or other criminal activity.

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 118th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL recognizes that the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign is consistent with the IACP’s belief that “Hometown Security is Homeland Security” and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police strongly supports and strongly encourages its members to advocate and support the “If You See Something, Say Something ™” public awareness and engagement initiative.

 

 

Submitted by IACP Board of Officers

BOO.024.A11

 

WHEREAS, there are nearly 800,000 children reported missing each year[1]; and on average 2,100 children are reported missing to law-enforcement agencies each day;[2] and

WHEREAS, 58,200 children were victims of non-family abductions in a one-year period of time;[3] and the percentage of minority children among missing children appear slightly higher than their percentage in the U.S. population;[4] and

WHEREAS, researchers[5] have found that when children are abducted and murdered, time is of the essence because 47% die within the first hour, 76% within three hours, 15 survive more than a day and 40% are dead before they are reported;[6] and

WHEREAS, we are seeing an increase in the number of reported cases of child sexual exploitation;[7] and

WHEREAS, call takers and dispatchers in public safety answering points (PSAPs) play a vital role in child protection through effective call screening of calls regarding missing children, collection of information about children and abductors, and follow-up information searches that support investigations of missing children; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children agree that the problems of missing and sexually exploited children are grave concerns of our organizations and the nation; and the consequences of these actions against our children threaten the foundation of our country's existence; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children join in partnership to encourage 9-1-1 Centers to adopt the APCO Standard for Public Safety Telecommunicators When Responding to Calls Pertaining to Missing, Abducted and Sexually Exploited Children (APCO ANS 1.101.2-2010) which describes best practices that will help to recover abducted children as soon as possible and protect children from sexual exploitation.

 

Submitted by: Communications and Technology Committee
Ctc.002.A11