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Envisage Technologies, a Bloomington, Indiana-based high-technology firm, announced today that it was chosen by the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) to implement the Acadis® Readiness Suite to replace its legacy credentialing and training management system. Envisage's cloud-based solution is designed specifically for public safety.

New York State is offering a unique training program for law enforcement today in Utica, aimed at giving agencies resources and information to better address critical incidents, such as the death of one of their own in the line of duty or as a result of suicide. The state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) developed the TRAUMA (Trauma Resources and Unified Management Assistance) program as part of its mission to offer trainings for law enforcement agencies and officers so they can better serve their communities. DCJS Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green said: "As a former prosecutor, I have seen first-hand the toll that a line-of-duty death or devastating injury can have on a department. Men and women on the front lines of this state's fight against crime may be reluctant to share their grief or on-the-job experiences with co-workers, family, and friends, which can lead to extreme stress. The aim of this training is to provide a line of defense for those officers to help themselves, each other and their families."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department acknowledged Tuesday that it hired about 80 officers who should have been disqualified because of problems in their backgrounds including criminal convictions and poor job performance.

Behaviors and reflexes are not changed as easily as the law. In the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings, training coordinators and department heads must be deliberate about implementing policies and providing education to accommodate clarified law. Specifically, the judicial decisions will impact use-of-force procedures, surveillance strategies, and involvement of spouses in the criminal justice process.

The switch was thrown quietly in May 2012, hidden inside a 16-page directive, "Gang Violence Reduction Strategy," and largely ignored amid a 60 percent rise in murders in the first quarter alone. With less than a year on the job, McCarthy had already disbanded two special task forces, roving teams that muscled neighborhoods into submission. Now he was betting on what he calls "the next phase of community policing in this world": an emphasis not on the traditional "hot spots" for crime, but on the "hot people" who commit most criminal acts.

Law enforcement agents are trained to handle a variety of life-threatening situations, from talking down a suspect wielding a weapon to evacuating large areas following a natural disaster. Even when officers are well prepared, certain situations may require the assistance of other professionals. These professionals become especially important when law enforcement agents engage people with severe mental illness (SMI). In the U.S., one in four adults experiences mental illness. For 9.3 million Americans the problems can be severe enough to impede their ability to act rationally. Most people suffering a mental illness are not violent, criminal or dangerous. Yet, they are ten times more likely to be incarcerated than committed to a state psychiatric hospital. Increasingly, police officers serve as the first line of contact when those living with mental illness are at their most disoriented.

In emergency services, cooperation is not negotiable. In order to be successful, members of a team must work together, including collaborators outside of an organization and across federal, state, and local levels. Unwillingness to collaborate can have serious consequences. Joint effort results in more streamlined resolutions and strengthens the foundation for future collaboration. By refusing to work together, emergency agencies waste crucial time and information. Technology can play a significant role in building that foundation, by providing agents with accurate locations of incidents, optimized performance, and real-time updates of criminal appearance descriptions.