November 9,
2016

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The Weekly Snapshot                            
Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the NCCPS.                       

Access resources to help promote awareness.
Hunger and Homelessness on Campus

Hunger, food insecurity, and homelessness are widespread issues across the globe and college and university campuses are not immune. Founded in 1971 and co-sponsored by the  National Coalition for the Homeless and the  National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is held the week before Thanksgiving each year to raise awareness on the problems associated with hunger and homelessness. Your institution can help spread awareness by hosting an event to fight hunger and homelessness and anyone can help by getting involved with a local event. A variety of resources and materials are available to help with organizing and promoting educational, fundraising, community service, and advocacy events.
 
It's vital for public safety departments to develop and maintain successful community relationships and provide homeless students with the services they need. Through these relationships, officials can help homeless students succeed and instill a sense of trust and cohesion. There are numerous resources to help mitigate hunger, food insecurity, and homelessness on campus, and support students in need, including:

Learn more about this new tool by watching an informational video.
New Benchmarking Tool for Law Enforcement

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and IACP Net, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, created the new Law Enforcement Benchmarking and Performance Analytics Portal, which allows law enforcement agencies, including campus police departments, to conduct comparative analyses with peer agencies for free. The user-friendly interface allows you to define search criteria and enter records in a secure, online format. You do not have to be an IACP member to utilize this resource.
 
Use the tool to input data and view comparative information such as agency and jurisdiction demographics, crime statistics, and use of force data. If you're considering establishing a new program or adding specialized staff, the tool can help you identify and connect with agencies that may have conducted similar work.
 
Benchmarking can help:
  • Improve agency performance by clearly identifying specific areas of opportunity, setting new performance expectations, and prioritizing next steps;
  • Manage change in the police environment by identifying trending data and validating or disproving assumptions;
  • Make efficient decisions with actions supported by hard data and informed by peer practices
  • Advance policing through cooperation and data sharing that establishes performance metrics and enhances safety; and
  • Gain support from stakeholders and community leaders with documented facts and data visualization that reinforce policing strategies.
Request access to this new tool by calling 800-328-1921 or sending an email to benchmarking@theiacp.org.

Transgender Awareness Week
 
November 14-20, 2016 is Transgender Awareness Week, a time to help raise the visibility of transgender and non-conforming people, and address the issues and challenges these communities face daily. The week ends on the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an annual observance that honors those whose lives have been lost due to anti-transgender violence.
 
TDOR was started in 1998 by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith to honor Rita Hester, a transgender woman killed that year. The vigil paid tribute not only Rita, but to all other transgender individuals that lost their lives that year, and it has continued as an important memorial for the transgender community. For a list of those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence and information on attending a vigil near you this year, visit the International Transgender Day of Remembrance website.
 
Institutions of higher education have been working hard to implement new policies that are more inclusive of transgender and non-conforming people. For example, in 2015, Smith College, an all-female institution, revised its admissions policy to include transgender women, and the University of Arizona was the first school in the nation to launch a transgender studies program. According to the 2012 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, trans youth experience alarmingly high levels of harassment, physical assault, and sexual violence. Harassment is sometimes so disruptive that nearly one-sixth of survey respondents reported leaving school in grades K-12 or in a higher education setting.
 
Additional challenges faced by transgender students include changing their gender markers and preferred names on university records; accessing safe restrooms that reflect their gender identity both in a housing setting and around campus; and accessing student health insurance coverage inclusive of trans-related medical needs, such as hormone therapy or gender confirmation surgery. CampusPride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups looking to create a safer environment for LGBTQ communities, has assembled a clearinghouse of higher education trans policies that cover a variety of topics including gender identity/expression, gender-inclusive housing, and women's colleges with trans-inclusive admissions policies. This is an excellent resource for campuses looking to peer institutions who have already made changes in these areas.
 
The following organizations have a variety of important resources available for students, staff, faculty, and administrators to help provide more detailed information on the challenges and solutions faced by mem bers of the transgender and non-conforming community.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relations Service (CRS) : Offers a cultural professionalism roll-call training video for public safety, Law Enforcement and the Transgender Community, and a facilitated national training program by the same name utilizing local transgender and law enforcement trainers. CRS also works with law enforcement and transgender communities in the aftermath of hate crimes; leads hate crimes prevention forums; provides consultation services on establishing LGBT police liaisons and inclusive police diversity councils; works with schools and universities to address climate issues; and provides self-marshaling training for demonstrations and marches.
  • GLAAD: Provides a new Media Reference Guide (10th edition) that officially changes the LGBT acronym to LGBTQ and guidelines for reporting on transgender victims of crime.
  • National Center for Transgender Equality: Their website contains a section listing many issues faced by the transgender community including housing and homelessness, identity documents, and school policies for youth and students; a section regarding healthcare, employment, airport security, and schools; and information and facts about transgender people.
  • National LGBTQ Task Force: The website contains reports and studies affecting the LGBTQ community as well as fact sheets and infographics that address a variety of topics including hate crimes and poverty.
  • The Trevor Project: Provides crisis and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24. The Trevor Support Center provides a place where LGBTQ youth can find answers to their questions as well as educational resources including a free online module, trainings for professionals, and model school policies. 

Register now!
Registration Closes Soon for Our Next Free Webinar

Register by Tuesday, November 15, 2016 to join us for the next free webinar in our  Campus Public Safety Online series, NCCPS: Where We Are and Moving Forward Together
 
On Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 2:00PM ET, NCCPS Director Kim Richmond will provide an update on NCCPS activities, including highlights from recent emerging issues forums, such as institutionalizing the Clery Act, impact of marijuana legalization, and campus carry legislation, as well as the outcomes of a nationwide higher education emergency management needs assessment. She will also discuss future activities and initiatives for the upcoming year and would like to solicit feedback from attendees on topics of concern the NCCPS could address in the future. Learn more by visiting our website.

Access our online calendar of events.
Professional Development Opportunities

Title: FC 101 - Financial Investigations Practical Skills
Organization: National White Collar Crime Center
Dates: January 10-12, 2017
Location: San Jose, CA
Fee: Free

Title: AWR 232 - Mass Fatalities Planning & Response for Rural Communities
Organization: The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium
Date: December 6, 2016
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
Fee: Free

Title: Strengthening Connections: Challenging Conversations to Enhance School Climate
Organization: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Department of Education, Department of Health, and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services 
Dates: November 29-30, 2016
Location: Richmond, VA
Fee: Registration fee


NCCPS Publications
Access free publications that identify challenges in the field and provide case studies, lessons learned, and promising practices. 
Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigation and Adjudication Institute
Join us for one of our scheduled Institutes!
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This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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