rural law enforcement

On December 7, 2023, at 2:00pm ET, the RVCRI team will host the fourth Rural Roundtable – a peer networking event for RVCRI grantees to come together and discuss persons in crisis.

The Comanche County, KS Sheriff's Office requested a review of its evidence management policy and manual to ensure they are aligned with best and promising practices for the technology.

Harold Medlock, RVCRI SME, found the policy and manual to be very well written and the use of photos to be extremely helpful. Feedback was given around the use of "should" vs. "shall/will" in sections of the manual, documenting the date/time of supervisor approval, and outlining the state statute directly in the policy.

Coalinga, CA requested ALPR Press Release Samples.

Ken Clary provided press release samples, talking points, and videos of press conferences from Bellevue, NE.

Espanola, NM requested Ken Clary's ALPR Policy Sample form Nebraska.

Ken provided this policy sample.

The Elizabethton, TN Police Department requested a review of their ALPR policy to ensure it is aligned with best and promising practices for the technology.

Harold Medlock is reviewing this policy.

Lyons, KS requested assistance with position marketing for the SRO program. Lyons, KS has had the position posted for several months with no qualified applicants.

On Thursday, August 17, at 2:00pm ET, the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) is hosting a webinar addressing strategies for handling sensitive investigations, such as sexual assault and intimate partner violence, in rural communities, best practices, and lessons learned.

Attendees will hear from Brian Eads, Investigator at the Gering, NE Police Department and Michael Tunink, Senior Criminal Attorney at the Coconino County, AZ County Attorney’s Office. During the event, attendees will:

On Thursday, August 17, at 2:00pm ET, the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative (RVCRI) is hosting a webinar addressing strategies for handling sensitive investigations, such as sexual assault and intimate partner violence, in rural communities, best practices, and lessons learned.

Attendees will hear from Brian Eads Investigator at the Gering, NE Police Department and Michael Tunink, Senior Criminal Attorney at the Coconino County, AZ County Attorney’s Office. During the event, attendees will:

The RVCRI Team will host monthly check-in calls with each of the grantees. Currently, there are 45 grantees actively in contact with the Institute. Each call is approximately 30 minutes. Each month we will discuss:
1. General Updates
2. RVCRI Implementation Status Updates including SARA Model activities and Violent Crime Metrics Updates
3. Success Stories
4. Areas of Concerns
5. TTA Requests
6. Next Steps/Q&A

Violent crime is on the rise in many jurisdictions, including rural communities. Rural law enforcement agencies are left to tackle these issues, often with a decreasing tax base, personnel shortages, expansive geographic territory, and lack of access to medical treatment that can make violent crimes more fatal than in urban settings.