In the mission to support the law enforcement leaders of today and develop the leaders of tomorrow, the IACP is constantly involved in advocacy, programs, research, and initiatives related to cutting-edge issues. This column keeps you up to date on IACP’s work to support our members and the field of law enforcement.

Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Policy

In an effort to improve policy and positively impact the lives of a specific group of children, the IACP collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to develop and release the model policy, Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents. The report addresses best practices for police interactions with children when a parent has been arrested, and the policy it presents is designed to counter the potential trauma faced by children in this situation. The policy was developed through collective input from a variety of sources, including subject-matter experts.

Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents policy is a detailed outline with instructions for agencies to improve their own policies and procedures and recognize the needs of children in these situations while carrying out their investigative and arrest responsibilities.

The report is available online at www.theiacp.org/ChildrenofArrestedParents. For more information, contact Phil Lynn at 703-863-6767, extension 324, or lynnp@theiacp.org.

Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role in Juvenile Justice Reform

In September 2013, the IACP convened the National Summit on Law Enforcement Leadership in Juvenile Justice to develop and improve agencies’ responses to children and teens whose paths cross with law enforcement, and it recently released the subsequent summit report. The summit received support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of an initiative to contribute to the reform of the juvenile justice system.

The report, Law Enforcement’s Leadership Role in Juvenile Justice Reform: Actionable Recommendations for Practice and Policy, presents police agencies with 33 tangible courses of action to employ when interacting with young offenders, as well as when working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. The recommendations are categorized into eight thematic areas, including making juvenile justice a priority within agencies, collaboration and information sharing, pathways to school completion, and promoting alternatives to arrest, court referral, and detention.

The summit report is available online at www.theiacp.org/portals/0/documents/pdfs/JuvenileJusticeSummitReport.pdf. For more information, contact Kate Rhudy at rhudy@theiacp.org.

Smaller Law Enforcement AgencyTraining Series

Law enforcement agencies serving fewer than 50,000 people comprise 86 percent of all law enforcement agencies in the United States, and with fewer resources and smaller budgets, these smaller law enforcement agencies face unique leadership challenges. Since 2001, IACP, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), has offered specialized training to meet the needs of smaller law enforcement agencies’ executives.

The 14th Annual Smaller Agency Certificate Track will be held October 25–28, 2014, at the 121st IACP Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, in room W110B of the Orange County Convention Center. During this track, law enforcement executives and experts will present innovative strategies tailored for smaller agencies. This year’s track includes 14 workshops on a variety of administrative, tactical, and leadership solutions. Topics include small agency analytics, recruitment and retention, officer safety, transitioning from a large to small agency, and more. ♦

For more information on the track schedule and additional resources, visit www.iacpsmallerdepts.org or contact Jennifer Styles at 1-800-THE-IACP, extension 804, or styles@theiacp.org.