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To obtain details on COPS Office programs, publications, and resources, contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov

**U.S. Department of Justice**        Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
www.cops.usdoj.gov

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### **COPS Office CRI-TAC Efforts to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic**

April 2020 | Volume 13 | Issue 4

The U.S. Department of Justice,  Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) recognizes that law  enforcement agencies need rapid assistance and resources as they respond to  COVID-19. Through its premier technical assistance center, the Collaborative Reform Initiative for  Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC), the COPS Office is mobilizing to  meet those needs. 

 CRI-TAC, led by the International  Association of Chiefs of Police and eight leading law enforcement stakeholder  associations—Fraternal Order  of Police, FBI National Academy Associates, Inc., International Association of  Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, International Association of Directors  of Law Enforcement Standards and Training,   National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, National Association  of Women Law Enforcement Executives, National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and  the National Tactical Officers Association—has launched the COVID-19 Library of  Resources. This directory is a searchable library of agency policies, standard  operating procedures, fact sheets, press releases, special orders, training  documents, and other COVID-19–related  materials. This tool will allow law enforcement to share important guidance  with one another on issues such as risk mitigation, communication, and officer  safety.

 Through CRI-TAC, the NSA is immediately providing resources  and assistance to sheriffs and jail administrators on COVID-19. The NSA has established  a team of subject matter experts, the COVID-19 Communication Cell, which has launched  a COVID-19 information  clearinghouse of all pertinent resources and is facilitating conference  calls and hosting webinars to promote information-sharing with the field. The NSA  is creating a number of resources on topics such as jail mitigation, scams and fraud,  and personal protective equipment, with the goal of widely disseminating them  through the information clearinghouse.

In addition to the above resources, CRI-TAC is working on  the following activities:
          - Developing considerations on what to do when law  enforcement are exposed to or sick with COVID-19.
          - Developing public safety communication  guidance on communicating risk to the general public.
          - Tracking the impact on forensic analysis  teams and their ability to stay safe.
          - Developing considerations on the use of  law enforcement volunteers, cadets, recruits, and retirees during COVID-19.
          - Developing tools and considerations on  fraud.
          - Developing considerations on officer  safety and community relations when law enforcement respond to a COVID-19 death  scene.
          - Developing tools and considerations for  normalizing operations post-COVID-19, especially on college and university  campuses.
          - Hosting webinars to address a number of  areas including jails, fraud, and risk mitigation.

As resources are developed,  they will be added to the COVID-19 Library of  Resources. 

 Additionally, CRI-TAC partners  are actively working with the CDC on guidance and information, especially  regarding jails. Review the current CDC  guidelines on what law enforcement personnel need to know about COVID-19 and interim CDC  guidelines for correctional and detention facilities.

 CRI-TAC is actively documenting  the impact of the virus on local law enforcement, including crime, officer  safety, officer stress, equipment needs, and other public safety issues. If you  have a story to share, please email COVID19@theiacp.org.

Finally, CRI-TAC is offering direct  COVID-19 technical assistance to state, local, tribal, and campus law  enforcement agencies as needed, in addition to the normal CRI-TAC technical  assistance. CRI-TAC can offer rapid, short-term, remote technical assistance  for agencies that need expert assistance from others in the field. To learn  more and submit a request, please visit the COPS Office Collaborative  Reform website.

 Nazmia E.A. Comrie          Senior Program Specialist          The  COPS Office

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