OJJDP Training and Technical Assistance

The Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Program (LETTAP) developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) employs promising law enforcement innovations and adult learning concepts, based on training needs assessment findings from law enforcement leaders to build skills to heighten law enforcement techniques when engaging youth. The needs assessment findings are used to guide the design, and delivery of an instructional training series, and to identify new trends and new audiences among State, local, and tribal law enforcement professionals and their allied partners. This approach focuses on aiding law enforcement's ability to respond appropriately to juvenile victimization and delinquency by improving collaborative response systems that prevent and control juvenile crime. With this global framework, the project focuses on serious habitual offending, crime, violence, and dysfunction in Indian Country, safety in schools, managing juvenile operations in police agencies, and juvenile interview and interrogation techniques.CA/NCF

Law enforcement arrests approximately 2.8 million juveniles annually for criminal or delinquent activities, which makes police the first point of contact with the criminal justice system for juveniles. Given this context, it is critical for law enforcement to understand the juvenile population and ensure that they have adequate skills for making decisions that lead to the introduction of juveniles into the system. The Training and Technical Assistance to Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies project seeks to increase law enforcement's capacity to reduce juvenile victimization, delinquency, and crime.

The IACP will increase law enforcement knowledge on priority juvenile justice issues through the delivery of training and technical assistance; engage law enforcement in the development of relevant training curricula to improve their effectiveness in promoting public safety; and encourage the development of innovative and effective prevention and / or intervention strategies. The IACP seeks to serve 300 law enforcement and juvenile justice officials from 100 agencies and develop and pilot test two new training workshops. Progress will be measured by the number of participants and agencies served and the impact of training on participants and their abilities to reduce juvenile delinquency as measured by the collection of data and impact evaluations. NCA/NCF

To strengthen the capacity of law enforcement to respond to juvenile justice issues, the IACP has developed and delivered training workshops focusing on juvenile interview and interrogation techniques, partnering to ensure school safety, collaborating to reclaim tribal youth, managing juvenile operations, and targeting serious habitual offender comprehensive action program candidates. Another course under development expressly for law enforcement will facilitate improved response to policing situations that involve contact with girls ages 12-17 who may be suspects or delinquents. The IACP provides technical assistance tailored to the requests from the field that emphasizes responses to school violence, administration of multi-agency collaborations, building juvenile justice system responses within tribal law enforcement, and partnership. Other activities will include the development of promising practice briefs on relevant juvenile justice topics. IACP will continue to conduct impact evaluations to assess the value of the trainings, identify learning gaps, and update the training content. Needs assessments will also be conducted to identify new areas for knowledge and skill building that supports affective policing techniques. CA/NCF