The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced today that it will engage with the Boston Police Department (BPD) through the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative’s Critical Response program.
In collaboration with the National Policing Institute, a Critical Response provider, the COPS Office will review and assess operations within BPD’s Human Resources section to determine whether processes and structures can be adapted to increase operational efficiencies and effectiveness.
“We applaud the Boston Police Department for requesting this review,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We know that agencies that are transparent about the work that they do and how they do it increase their ability to build public trust and advance public safety.”
“The COPS Office has been able to see first-hand the positive changes that agencies undergo when they commit to the type of assistance offered under our Critical Response program,” said Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. of the COPS Office. “And that commitment, in turn, has a big impact on public trust.”
The Collaborative Reform Initiative offers three programs providing expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs. Details of these programs can be found at cops.usdoj.gov/collaborativereform. Managed by the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and communities; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; build organizational learning capacity; and promote community policing practices nationwide.
The Critical Response program provides targeted technical assistance (TA) to law enforcement agencies experiencing high-profile events or significant community concerns. This customizable TA includes immediate delivery of support for acute needs, data analysis, and after-action reviews to learn from critical incidents or issues.
The COPS Office is a federal component responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Established in 1994 as part of the Justice Department's crime-fighting strategy, it provides grants, knowledge resources, training, and technical assistance. The office has awarded more than $20 billion in grants to over 13,000 law enforcement agencies for hiring approximately 138,000 officers.