BJA Fact Sheet: Officer Safety Initiatives

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is committed to officer safety. It has coordinated with the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), federal law enforcement agencies, and national police organizations to develop a comprehensive officer safety portfolio to provide state, local, and tribal governments with quality training, technical assistance, and resources that assist law enforcement leaders in their efforts to (1) prevent violent encounters and train their officers to survive them, if they occur; (2) provide critical information to improve officers' awareness of potentially violent situations and their ability to respond appropriately to critical events; (3) identify potential danger and shield their officers from injury; (4) reduce overall violence in their communities; (5) bring greater awareness, leadership, and focus to improving officers' health and wellness; and (6) support their officers, their officers' families, and their agencies and communities if a tragic event does occur.

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Author: Steven Edwards, Ph.D., BJA Senior Policy Advisor, and Deborah Meader, BJA Policy Advisor

Federal Sponsor Agency: BJA, COPS, NIJ

Publication Date: 2015