During National Police Week, the Justice Department participated in events across the country to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and serve.

On Monday evening, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the 25^th Annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C.  He said that last year witnessed the fewest line-of-duty deaths since the 1950s, but that a single act of violence against a law enforcement officer is one too many.  Attorney General Holder further noted:

“Especially this evening – as we gather in this place of honor, on this hallowed ground, to mark the 25th Annual Candlelight Vigil – I want to assure you that the courage, the fidelity and the heroic final actions of our fallen officers will never be forgotten.  Every day – in cities, rural areas and tribal communities across the country – these individuals stood on the front lines of our nation’s fight against crime and violence.  Each faced uncertain dangers, and a diverse array of threats, every time they put on their badge and uniform.”

On Wednesday, Attorney General Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced several improvements to modernize and streamline the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program.  Attorney General Holder stated:

“These fundamental improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program will help us cut through red tape – and ensure that fallen or injured officers and their families can get the benefits they need in a timely manner.  These improvements are representative of the value that I, the women and men of the Justice Department, and our entire country, must always place on the work of our law enforcement officers. And, it’s emblematic of our commitment to standing with all who bravely serve our nation, especially in the toughest of times.”

U.S. Attorneys across the country also commemorated Police Week in their districts.  U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz recently recognized 152 officials from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies for exceptional service at the U.S. Attorney’s annual Law Enforcement Public Service Awards Ceremony.  The event followed just weeks after the death of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who was shot and killed on April 18^th just days after the Boston Marathon bombings.

During the event, U.S. Attorney Ortiz praised law enforcement personnel and their accomplishments and recognized the demands placed upon them, saying:

“This work can be difficult, and at times, it may seem thankless.  Please know that your efforts do not go unnoticed. What you have sacrificed – your personal safety, your precious time with your families – it is truly appreciated by our office, your agencies and the communities for which you have dedicated your esteemed service.”

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York William J. Hochul Jr. spoke at the Police Memorial Service at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Buffalo honoring 94 federal, state and local officers killed in the line of duty and at a monument dedication ceremony in Clarence, N.Y. in memory of New York State Trooper Kevin Dobson who was killed in the line of duty in 2011.   

Other U.S. Attorneys and their staff attended memorial services, parades, wreath laying and other special events commemorating Police Week in Los Angeles, Jackson, Miss., Cleveland and Dayton, Ohio, Providence, R.I., Knoxville, Tenn., Dallas, Charleston, W.V., among others across the country.

Also during Police Week, the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office held an open house in the Capitol Visitors Center for visiting law enforcement officers who wanted to learn more about the agency’s 2013 programs and resources.  COPS staff was on hand to discuss federal funding opportunities, including the COPS Hiring Program, a competitive grant program focused on school safety, veteran hiring and homicide and gun violence reduction.  Grant opportunities for the development of community policing strategies and funding for public safety enhancements in tribal jurisdictions were also highlighted.  

Events continue this weekend and throughout the month, to honor those who serve and protect every community across the country. For more information, including a detailed schedule of events for National Police Week 2013, visit www.policeweek.org.

On Friday, Attorney General Holder outlined the initial steps to implement the recommendations of the department’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, part of the Defending Childhood Initiative.

The Attorney General announced that Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West will oversee the creation of an American Indian/Alaska Native Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. The announcement was made at the new tribal task force during a quarterly meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which is administered by the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office on Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention.

The proposed task force will be a joint effort between the Departments of Justice and Interior and tribal governments. The task force will focus on:

• Improving the identification and treatment of American Indian and Alaska Native children exposed to violence;
• Supporting American Indian and Alaska Native communities and tribes as they define their own responses to this problem; and
• Involving American Indian and Alaska Native youth in developing solutions.

The creation of the American Indian/Alaska Native Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence was one of 56 recommendations made by the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence. The National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence presented its final report and recommendations to Attorney General Holder in December 2012. The recommendations called for universal identification, assessment and treatment of children who witness or are victims of violence. They also called for training for professionals who work with children to identify and respond to trauma caused by violence.

The Justice Department will provide additional details on the implementation of the recommendations in the coming months. These efforts will build on the task force’s call to support and train professionals working with children, raise public awareness, build knowledge and increase department and federal coordination and capacity.

OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; 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.

Follow the Office of Justice Programs on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OJPgov.

Two students talk with the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, Mary Lou Leary after the first speaker and panel session.

The following post appears courtesy of Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary

This week, I was privileged to meet with the more than 200 American Indian and Alaska Native youth and adult leaders from 53 tribal communities across the country at the 2012 National Intertribal Youth Summit.  The conference will run through Aug. 2 at the 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and at various locations in Washington, D.C.  I was inspired by the enthusiasm of these remarkable young people who are so strongly invested in the future of their communities, and so eager to help bring about positive change. 

During the summit, the teens will discuss the critical issues facing them in Indian Country.  The participants will have a chance to develop their leadership skills and engage in interactive discussions with tribal elders and leaders, youth advocates, and field experts on cultural values and community-based solutions to these pressing issues.  They will talk about their concerns with officials from Congress and the White House, and from the Departments of Justice, Interior, Health and Human Services and Education.  And while they are here they will tour our city’s monuments and visit the Capitol and the White House.

The Justice Department launched the Youth Summit initiative to promote long-term improvement in public safety in tribal communities.  The Department was responding to requests from tribal leaders for the development of culturally appropriate prevention, treatment and reentry programs for tribal youth and families.  The Summit provides an important opportunity for the Department to ask the young people themselves how they perceive the problems and what they recommend in formulating solutions.

As Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West said at the opening ceremony:

“This summit is an opportunity for those of us in Washington to hear directly from youth as representatives of their tribes…The choices that young leaders make will help define the future of their tribal nations.  Working together, we can develop solutions to the challenges that they, their families, and their peers face each day.”

The following post appears courtesy of Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West

This week, I was honored to be a guest of the people of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in Montana.  I saw firsthand how the Crow and Northern Cheyenne are meeting the many challenges that face them with a spirit of resilience and commitment to community.   Like many American Indian and Alaska Native communities, both communities struggle with unacceptable rates of violence against women and children, unemployment, youth delinquency, substance abuse, and suicide.

But there is also much to be hopeful for.  In my conversations with tribal leaders, law enforcement and court officials, health care workers, community advocates, youth and other tribal members this week, I was awed at the many small and large efforts underway to make these communities safer and healthier.  I was astounded at how Indians, young and old, are keeping alive ancient traditions that strengthen the bonds of family and community.

Building safe and healthy communities in Indian country is a top priority for the Department of Justice.  One of the reasons for my visit was to explore ways to build on the progress we are making through an unprecedented level of collaboration and communication with tribes, through leadership at the Justice Department and the innovative work of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country.  In Montana, these efforts are led by U.S. Attorney Mike Cotter, whose staff is fully engaged in programs underway on Montana reservations.

On Wednesday, Mike and I visited the Child and Adolescent Referral and Evaluation Center (CARE) facility at the Crow/Northern Cheyenne hospital, where children who may be victims of crime or have been exposed to violence are cared for in a safe environment that reduces trauma, provides comprehensive care, and facilitates the investigation that can bring justice and accountability where a crime has been committed.

We also announced a pilot project to establish Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) on all Montana reservations.  We hope that placing SART teams on every Montana reservation will bring healing and justice to victims of sexual violence – the kind of help that will also strengthen the faith and confidence that native women have in their criminal justice system.

On Thursday, we explored an array of youth programs underway at the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club, which provides a safe haven for at-risk youth, offers prevention programs to cut drop-out rates, teen pregnancy, and youth incarceration, and nurtures boys and girls with cultural activities that also keep Northern Cheyenne culture alive.

It was a privilege and an inspiration to visit Montana Indian country this week, and it is my hope that we continue to learn from one another and work together on this shared journey.  We have quite a ways to go to solve some very difficult problems, but with mutual respect and unbreakable resolve, we are certainly moving in the right direction.

This week the Justice Department commemorated National Police Week by hosting and attending events across the country to honor those who have sacrificed for the protection of us all.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day. That day falls during Police Week. Each year, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in events that honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the Bureau of Prisons Correctional Workers Memorial Service. He expressed gratitude and thanks that no new names had been added to the memorial this year, and highlighted the heroic actions of Gregory J. Gunter, a former off-duty maintenance mechanic general foreman at the Federal Correctional Institute in Petersburg, Va.

On Christmas Day in 1982, Gunter responded to a radio call for help during a riot where he was tragically fatally wounded. As Attorney General Holder noted:

“Foreman Gunter’s extraordinary actions delayed the large group of inmates from reaching those they were pursuing, and provided time for additional staff to arrive and end the riot.  There is no doubt that his sacrifice saved lives, prevented injuries – both among inmates and staff – and allowed order to be restored.”

Attorney General Holder also spoke at the 14^th Annual Candlelight Vigil sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.  He shared the stories of bravery from members of the “thin blue line.” He remarked that the time has come to put past our differences in an effort to protect those who protect us, and said:

  “Block by block, city by city, department by department – we can combat and hold totally accountable with the harshest penalties, the criminal element that menaces our communities and targets the law enforcement family.”

 Other department officials also participated in Police Week 2012. Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West attended the 18^th Annual Blue Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. The mass honors law enforcement and fire safety officers for their service.

 Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Director Bernard Melekian hosted an open house on Capitol Hill, meeting with congressional members and their staff to discuss upcoming law enforcement grant programs and public safety trends.

 Director Melekian also delivered remarks during the National Association of Police Organizations Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. He discussed the work of the department’s Officer Safety and Wellness Group, a collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and practitioners. The group works to develop initiatives designed to reduce the number of officer fatalities.

 At the meeting, he spoke about the department’s commitment to keeping officers safe:

 “We have to continue applying resources and expertise to help find a resolution to the issue of officer fatalities. This partnership has been long overdue, but we’re fortunate to see a broader effort being made, with new components developing strategies aimed at decreasing officer deaths due to gunfire, traffic accidents and suicides.”

 U.S. Attorneys across the country also celebrated Police Week in their districts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware held several events honoring officers including a law enforcement suicide prevention seminar aimed at increasing suicide awareness, improving access to resources and identifying best practices. The training was held in conjunction with the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Delaware Air National Guard, 166^th Airlift Wing.

 U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Timothy J. Heaphy, will speak at an officer’s memorial service in Tazewell, Va., this week.

 Events continue this weekend and throughout the month, to honor those who serve and protect every community across the country. For more information, including a detailed schedule of events for National Police Week 2012, visit www.policeweek.org.

The following post appears courtesy of  Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West

When we review the statistics, look in our communities, or read the newspaper, it is clear that our children face great challenges.  Whether at home, in school, on the streets, or online, our children are witnessing and experiencing intolerable levels of violence.  At the Department of Justice, we know that understanding the nature and extent of children’s exposure to violence is essential to combating its effects. 

Today, I’m pleased to announce that, with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department is releasing new data in a bulletin entitled Child and Youth Victimization Known to Police, School and Medical Authorities. This bulletin tells us when children report violence, what type of violence, and to whom.  It specifically looks at the victimizations that were known to the police, teachers and other school personnel, and doctors and other medical professionals.

Attorney General Eric Holder has made preventing violence against children a top priority at one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world.  To that end, he established the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, also called the Defending Childhood Task Force, which is working to identify the scope of, and solutions to, violence against children.  We are striving for a safe environment for our children so that they have the opportunity to develop into healthy adults.  This, we know, will determine the course of our nation’s future. 

There is much progress being made by the task force, but I want to highlight one area in which the department is hard at work—gathering nationwide data on childhood victims of violence. 

According to the new data, we know that, overall, kids are disclosing incidents of violence they suffered or witnessed at much higher rates than 20 years ago.  But too much victimization is still unreported, and we’ve discovered much about where reporting remains low.  For example, our findings indicate that authorities knew about a majority of serious victimizations, including incidents of sexual abuse by an adult, gang assaults, and kidnappings.  But authorities were mostly unaware of other kinds of  serious offenses committed by peers, such as instances of dating violence (15 percent reported) and completed and attempted rape by a peer (14 percent reported).  Moreover, authorities were much less likely to learn of victimizations of certain groups of victims (like boys, Hispanic youth, and youth from higher socio-economic status) or when the perpetrators were peers or family members.  And finally, authorities only knew about half of the episodes of children witnessing domestic violence. 

The sooner we know about a child’s victimization or exposure to violence, the better our chances are at intervening effectively and the more likely we are to restore hope in a child’s life.  We can help bridge the gaps between our partners in schools, law enforcement, and the medical community to ensure that children have access to effective prevention and treatment options.  The research also reminds us that for all the progress achieved in this area, still too many children suffer in silence, never getting the assistance they so desperately need. Getting them critical help that could make all the difference in their lives. 

Breaking that silence is the ultimate goal—our collective goal—for Defending Childhood.  So, if you or someone you know has been a victim, I hope you will take the first step.  Learn how you can take action to protect children at justice.gov/defendingchildhood If you’re a victim of violence in your home, and wanthelp right away, call or visit: The National Child Abuse Hotline  at 1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-2-A-CHILD (TTY).  Justice begins with you.

April 22-28, 2012 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). Each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crimes at the U.S. Department of Justice has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.  Learn more at OVC.gov.