NCJ Number
250695
Date Published
2009
Length
55 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this "Training Supplemental," which is the fourth volume of the "Strategy Package," is to provide law enforcement agencies with content that can be customized to provide every agency employee with specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and tools to improve their responses to crime victims.
Abstract
This volume contains a core curriculum and presents training outlines for agency-wide personnel, field training officers (FTOs), and recruits. It introduces Federal, State, local, campus, and tribal law enforcement leaders to the concepts and the benefits of improving their responses to victims of all crimes. The evolution of the quality of law enforcement responses to victims is reviewed, and the multiple benefits of an improved understanding of the needs and available services for victims are highlighted. Seven critical needs of crime victims are outlined and how law enforcement can better service these needs is discussed. Four principles are discussed as essential to improving law enforcement's response to crime victims. These principles are leadership, partnering with victim service providers, training all personnel in victim services, and monitoring the implementation and outcomes of the agency's response and service to crime victims. Key elements of an effective response to crime victims are discussed under the topics of effective communication, empathy, professionalism and integrity, honesty and confidentiality, knowledge of available resources and services, and responsiveness. Four modules are presented as a series of PowerPoint slides with notes, and they are accessible from this volume. The content of each is summarized. A review section is provided to emphasize the critical points that have been covered in the training sessions.