FY23 Critical Topics -Community Policing Development Solicitation

Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as violent crime, nonviolent crime, and fear of crime. Community Policing Development (CPD) funds are used to develop the capacity of law enforcement to implement community policing strategies by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities. The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community. Statutory Authority This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. Program-Specific Information This program is authorized under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended, and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Title I, Part Q, Public Law 103-322, 34 U.S.C. § 10381 et seq. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. For all identified deliverables, the applicant should adhere to the COPS Office Editorial and Style Manual. For projects that propose site-specific work, letters of support from the targeted agencies are strongly encouraged. With any programmatic questions, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays. Program Goals Under this solicitation, the COPS Office seeks to support projects that allow for the identification and expansion of promising practices and produces knowledge products that follow the principles of good guidance: Quality-driven, with an emphasis on action statements to drive promising practices and reduce variations in performance Evidence-based, with recommendations that are consistent with the weight of the best available evidence identified through systematic review Accessible, with clear language and manageable lengths that are appropriate and relevant for the law enforcement field Memorable, to encourage immediate actions or aid for the complex situations law enforcement professionals face To read an overview of the principles of community policing, please see the COPS Office publication Community Policing Defined. Applicants should also consider the COPS Office performance measures when developing their own specific project goals and activities, which can be found in the "Performance Measures" section of this application. Critical Topics Program - Community Policing Development As part of its mission, the COPS Office offers innovative programs that respond directly to the critical needs of state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement. Through this solicitation the COPS Office will convene stakeholders around the most critical issues in public safety facing our nation, develop guides and resources, reports, best practices, and other information products for the field that highlight successful community policing strategies in the areas of recruitment, retention, workforce diversification, tolerance, ant-bias and diversity. Under this solicitation, the COPS Office will fund projects in the following subcategories: Emerging Issues Forums Innovations in Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Diversification Tolerance, Anti-bias and Diversity Training Applicants may apply for multiple subcategories, but a separate application is required for each program. Emerging Issues Forums One award, up to $300,000 The COPS Office will fund an organization to plan and execute two to four convenings with thought leaders in law enforcement on critical topics that are impacting the field. These forums will provide subject matter expertise on emerging issues in law enforcement, engaging with leading voices in the field on the critical issues in policing. The applicant will also develop resources highlighting promising practices addressing these emerging issues that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community. The applicant should be prepared to work collaboratively with the COPS Office to develop topics for the emerging issues convenings. Projects Out of Scope • Applicants that are not institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations, community groups, nonprofit organizations, or faith-based organizations will not be considered. • Projects that do not focus on the planning and execution of convenings and the development of deliverables (brief reports or summaries, publications, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field will not be considered. Requirements The primary goal of this project is to support two to four forums on emerging issues in policing. These forums will assemble thought leaders in law enforcement on critical topics impacting the field. Forums can be virtual or in- person and must result in the development of publications, toolkits, and other resources that provide promising practices on critical issues. The applicant should address the following in their proposal narrative: The subject matter expertise of the project leadership and staff in experience managing meetings or forums (virtual, in person, or both) of leaders in the law enforcement field on topics of emerging importance to law enforcement Forum ideas that demonstrate knowledge and expertise in identifying and addressing emerging issues in law enforcement as well as subject matter experts from across the country Planning activities, such as conducting pre-meeting research, recommending invitees and speakers as appropriate, developing meeting materials, and discussion preparation, as well as meeting execution and facilitation Development of deliverables such as a guidebook on the emerging issues based on forum discussions, literature review, and pre-meeting interviews that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community. Deliverables The primary deliverable of this award will the planning and execution of forums focused on emerging law enforcement issues and the development of resources such as a report of forum discussions, pre-meeting interviews, and research from literature and previously reported studies that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field. These deliverables may be published by the COPS Office at no expense to the award recipient (which would include development assistance, editing, design, and distribution). Innovations in Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Diversification One award, up to $400,000 Recruiting and selection of the best law enforcement candidates who represent a diversity of backgrounds, knowledge, and experiences is essential to building trust, collaboration, and transparency with the community. However, the ability of law enforcement agencies to recruit and select eligible candidates presents a challenge in a climate where policing is not seen by some as an appealing career. With retention of officers at an all-time low and retirements on the rise, it is important for agencies to understand how to implement best practices most effectively regarding the recruitment and selection of officers. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Survey on Police Workforce Trends (2021) indicates reductions in hiring and retention within law enforcement agencies nationwide. According to PERF, agencies reported an 18 percent increase in resignations and a 5 percent reduction in hiring. In addition, the report notes that a significant number of retirements has also impacted law enforcement agencies, reporting a 45 percent increase in the retirement rate. Employing new and innovative practices to recruitment and selection will be critical to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that has strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, is adaptable, and understands agency policies and procedures—a workforce that is essential to maintaining a safe and thriving community. The COPS Office will provide funding to an organization to develop recruitment, retention, and workforce diversification resources (videos, toolkits, publications, podcasts, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field and provide technical assistance to help law enforcement improve their capacity to develop creative and engaging opportunities to market policing positions and expand the pool of potential applicants to attract, select, and retain a diverse workforce for their agencies. Projects Out of Scope Applicants that are not institutions of higher education, for-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and faith-based organizations will not be considered. Projects that do not focus on development of recruitment, retention, and workforce diversification resources (videos, toolkits, publications, podcasts, etc.) that can be shared with the broader law enforcement field and/or provide technical assistance to agencies on the topic areas will not be considered. Requirements The primary goal of this project is to help agencies improve their officer recruitment, retention and workforce diversification efforts. The successful applicant will compile a catalog of innovative practices around recruitment, retention and workforce diversification and develop tools and resources on overcoming common challenges to their implementation in agencies of varying size and recruitment, retention and needs for workforce diversification. Applicants should consider how agencies should select and tailor their current policies to the proposed best practices to meet their local needs, in addition to overcoming challenges to their implementation. The selected applicant will also be expected to serve as a technical assistance resource to recent CHP awardees. This assistance could include responding to direct information requests, providing tailored resource products, hosting webinars and other informational sessions for awardees, or facilitating a community of practice with the active awardees. The project description should also address the following criteria: The subject matter expertise of the project leadership The ability to serve as a centralized unit for collecting, reforming, monitoring, and tracking law enforcement recruitment, retention and workforce diversification The proposed program activities that will support the development of recruitment, retention and workforce diversification resources that can be shared with the broader law enforcement community, including the following proposed activities: Choosing sample policing agencies from CHP awardees to participate in the project Revitalizing job descriptions, recruitment criteria, and application management systems Revitalizing agencies retention and workforce diversification efforts A plan for the provision of technical assistance resources to recent CHP awardees How providers will gauge impact of proposed resources being offered Deliverables The primary deliverable of this award will be resources that will support the ability of law enforcement agencies across the country, including recent CHP awardees, to select the most effective recruitment, retention and workforce diversification practices that best suit their needs and to provide guidance on their implementation. In addition, the award will serve as a technical assistance resource to CHP awardees. The project deliverable (s) should be clearly identified in the proposal narrative and may include lessons learned through the technical assistance provided to the CHP awardees. Deliverables can include such things as articles, conference presentations, webinars, brief reports and summaries, publications, and other tools (videos, toolkits, podcasts, etc.) that benefit law enforcement agencies. These deliverables may be published by the COPS Office at no expense to the award recipient (which would include development assistance, editing, design, and distribution). Tolerance, Anti-Bias and Diversity Training Four awards, up to $700,000 each A vital piece of the success of policing is the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect and serve. In the context of community policing, these relationships serve the two interrelated goals of increasing trust and enhancing collaborative problem-solving efforts. Community members who do not trust law enforcement are less likely than those who do to report crime and to participate in developing solutions to problems. Law enforcement can rarely solve significant crime and disorder problems alone, and stakeholder engagement is critical to success. A key mechanism to ensuring improved trust and effective engagement is providing high quality, interactive training for law enforcement on police-community interactions. The COPS Office seeks an applicant to deliver an in-person tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training program that encompasses cultural sensitivity components such as respect, acceptance, and appreciation of different groups’ identities (e.g., ethnic, racial, sexual orientation and gender); cultural diversity; and law enforcement interaction with people with disabilities, people with mental illnesses, and English language learners. The applicant should also plan to develop an online version of their in-person course for deployment in the COPS Training Portal. The applicant should be an organization with an existing state or nationally certified curriculum in this area and well-established experience in training law enforcement personnel and criminal justice professionals. Projects Out of Scope Applicants that cannot provide national-level training to a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel will not be considered. At least 25% of those trained should be through in-person courses available to law enforcement from across the country; the remainder may be reached through the deployment of the online training. Training programs that are not focused on tolerance and diversity will not be considered. Requirements Applicants should propose (1) the delivery of an existing in-person training curriculum that improves the knowledge and behaviors of law enforcement in the areas of diversity, inclusion, cultural competency, and the nature of collaborative partnerships and (2) the development of a new online version of the same training for deployment through the COPS Training Portal. The training should also improve officers’ practical skills in partnership development and related trust-building activities and initiatives. Law enforcement should emerge from the training with an increased awareness of the value of diversity and inclusion and with improved knowledge and skills to most effectively engage in their communities. The COPS Office anticipates the provider will train a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel. At least 25% of those trained should be through in-person courses available to law enforcement officers from across the country; the remainder may be reached through the deployment of the online version. The proposal narrative should also address the following: Present a plan to build a greater understanding of tolerance and diversity in the law enforcement field nationwide. Assist law enforcement in developing the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that allow local law enforcement to advance public safety. Implement a national training program that will reach a minimum of 5,000 law enforcement personnel through both classroom training and online training delivered through the COPS Training Portal. Describe the vision for the online course and how it will complement the existing in-person curriculum. Describe the existing in-person curriculum that will be used, its learning objectives, its trainer qualifications, its current state or national certifications, and how it is evaluated by students. Demonstrate prior success in delivering in-person training that effects behavior change and discuss how the online training program will track and measure both knowledge gain and behavior change. Deliverables The project should focus on (1) the delivery of classroom training on tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias; (2) the development of an online tolerance, diversity, and anti-bias training program compatible with the COPS Training Portal; (3) preparing virtual training program files for the COPS Training Portal and working with the Portal team for development, beta testing, and release; and (4) certification of the online training(s). Project deliverable(s) should be clearly identified and described in the application proposal narrative.
Categories: Law, Justice and Legal Services.