The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced today it will engage with the Uvalde Police Department (UPD) through the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative’s Critical Response program.
The COPS Office, in conjunction with Jensen Hughes, a Critical Response provider, will provide a range of technical assistance services and opportunities associated with UPD’s training, leadership, and community partnerships. The goal of this technical assistance is to enhance UPD’s strategic training plan, leadership development programs, and community trust-building initiatives.
“Since releasing its report ‘Critical Incident Review: Active Shooter at Robb Elementary,’ the Justice Department has continued to work with the Uvalde community, offering a range of technical assistance on topics that were identified in the report,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today’s announcement will formalize that effort and enable the Department to enhance its efforts to help both the community and the police department implement the recommendations contained in the report.”
“The COPS Office remains committed to the Uvalde community and the Uvalde Police Department on the issues, challenges, and deficiencies the report identified,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “I know that the work we are going to do moving forward will be a tremendous resource as the UPD continues with the important work they are dedicated to carrying out.”
The Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs. Managed out of the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and communities; improve operational efficiencies; enhance officer safety; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning; and promote community policing practices nationwide.
The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to law enforcement agencies experiencing high-profile events or major incidents. Critical Response is highly customizable by providing flexible assistance to law enforcement agencies that have recently experienced a critical incident or identified an issue of significant community concern in their operations. The TA generally falls into three categories: immediate delivery of TA to address pressing needs, data analysis, and after-action reviews.
The COPS Office is responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Established in 1994 as part of the Justice Department's crime-fighting strategy with grants and various resources for training and technical assistance, it has become a key organization for law enforcement agencies across the country. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion for advancing community policing efforts.