Victim services play a unique role in agency response to victims. As non-investigative staff, their sole focus is to provide dedicated support to crime victims. Victim services personnel can help reduce the level of distress victims feel throughout the justice process and can improve the overall sense of procedural justice. This can help foster trust between police and the communities they serve.

Every community has a unique makeup that requires a unique approach. To effectively provide services and further build trust, victim services personnel need to have a solid understanding of who lives in their community. As part of a commitment to serving the needs of all victims, the IACP, in partnership with the Justice Information Resource Network released a new resource—the Community Mapping Tool, a step-by-step guide on using public databases to gain a deeper understanding of communities. Agencies can use this data to initiate a strategic plan to improve community access to victim services.

The Community Mapping Tool goes beyond guidance on gathering typical demographic information, such as total population, race, ethnicity, and age. To form a more comprehensive community understanding, agencies are encouraged to consider a broad array of factors, including religious affiliations, primary languages used, and the economic status among community members. These factors can impact both the risk of victimization and community members’ ability to access victim services and related resources. For example, community members living in a high-crime area and with limited household access to the internet may not fully benefit from a victim services program’s digital outreach materials or electronic communication. Victim services personnel must take this into consideration when designing services and outreach in similar communities. Other factors can affect the ways that victims interact with the justice system, including their willingness to seek help from and engage with police. By taking the time to understand the community they serve, victim services personnel can better shape policies and practices to ensure services are accessible, culturally responsive, and trauma informed.

This publication is the latest in the IACP’s LEV Program’s expansive library of resources for law enforcement–based victim services personnel. Although the Community Mapping Tool is primarily targeted toward victim services personnel, other disciplines such as sworn officers or community-based service providers may also benefit from using the tool.

IACP Community Mapping Tool

The Community Mapping Tool comprises three main sections:

1. 1. 1. Suggested Tools
      2. Further Exploration Questions
      3. Further Reading

Each section directs readers to gather specific data and consider how it may affect victim services delivery within the community. The Suggested Tools section assists readers in compiling data from across multiple existing public databases along with other sources and includes recommendations for specific data to gather, including

• • race/ethnicity,
  • languages spoken,
  • economic status/access to resources,
  • educational institutions,
  • tribal communities,
  • faith-based communities,
  • military-connected communities, and
  • jurisdictional crime statistics.

Those using the guide are encouraged to supplement this information with qualitative data, such as unique community points of interest (e.g., tourist attractions or major event venues) and agency response to other special populations.

They can then use the Further Exploration Questions to drive conversations about their agency’s victim services response. These questions prompt users to think about how aspects of a victim’s identity may affect their experience with victim services and to identify potential barriers that programs can work to mitigate.

Finally, the Further Reading recommendations highlight national-level resources that victim services personnel and their agencies can use to enhance services. These resources may include online training, resource toolkits, and practical guides for the field.

Getting Started

Completing the process outlined in the Community Mapping Tool takes time. Victim services personnel should seek agency support to ensure that the resulting recommendations can be effectively implemented into a strategic plan. This begins with identifying a champion, or a person within leadership who recognizes the importance of victim services and broadening community access. Victim services personnel can then proceed with collecting data. Through the data collection process, victim services personnel may also identify local, specialized organizations that provide an array of community services. These organizations can be great partners in gaining additional qualitative information about community needs and can serve as referral options. For example, a partnership with a religious center can offer victim services personnel guidance on handling a victim’s case in a way that aligns with their faith. In turn, law enforcement–based victim services personnel can work with this partner to increase outreach to victims from the faith-based community and increase awareness of victims’ rights.

After data are gathered and analyzed, the next step is to report the findings. With the support of a champion, victim services personnel can present recommendations to leadership and other stakeholders. Possible recommendations might include developing new community partnerships, revising victim services policies, and increasing points of access for service delivery.

Conclusion

As communities continue to evolve, victim services personnel and their agencies must be prepared to meet their changing needs. Victim services personnel are encouraged to repeat the Community Mapping Tool process every few years to ensure that their strategic plan continues to be relevant. By maintaining a victim services response that aligns with current community needs, agencies can continue to look for opportunities to enhance existing policies and practices, expand victim outreach, and improve overall community-police trust.

For more information on the Community Mapping Tool or integrating victim services at an agency, please email LEVproject@theiacp.org.d

Please cite as

Morgana Yellen, “Using Community Data to Drive Strategic Planning in Victim Services,” IACP@Work, Police Chief 93, no. 9 (September 2026): 90–91.