Smart Policing Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Program

The CNA will support the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) by expanding training and technical assistance (TTA) efforts. Goals will be accomplished through the dissemination of SPI concepts, best practices, and lessons learned; the enhancement of SPI outreach through electronic media; the promotion of on-site visits to address project progress, challenges, and obstacles; and the development of recommendations to strengthen the success and sustainability of the SPI program. The CNA will also assist existing BJA SPI grantees with program assessment, performance measurement development and collection, and the creation of reports that capture progress and milestones.

The CNA will utilize Smart Policing Initiative TTA funds to expand the impact of the Bureau of Justice Assistance Smart Policing Initiative by assisting SPI sites and the larger law enforcement community as they continue to face the challenges of reducing crime and providing quality policing services, while in a fiscally constrained environment. CNA will better position agencies to make strategic and efficient policing decisions by educating and mentoring agencies in Smart Policing principles, such as utilizing data, forming partnerships with researchers, translating evidence-based research into practice, changing the culture of an organization, and integrating and sustaining these practices.

The CNA will implement a refined seven-phase process based on proven and successful law enforcement TTA strategies. The CNA approach will begin with assessments of SPI sites' capacity for research, analysis, and engagement with a research partner, in order to identify site weakness and TTA opportunities. The CNA will then use a diverse set of TTA delivery mechanisms such as in-person meetings, webinars, monthly consultation calls with nationally esteemed subject matter experts (SMEs), regional and online workshops, and social media outreach to build foundational and advanced SPI principles. Through these mechanisms, the grantee will provide training, advice, and documented lessons learned (as well as identify and disseminate emerging trends and proven practices in policing and research) to funded SPI sites and the SPI community worldwide. At the heart of CNA's TTA approach is a well-integrated team of over 25 national leaders (SMEs and CNA staff) who have extensive experience in law enforcement leadership, management, crime strategies and tactics, place and offender-based crime prevention, technology, crime analysis, and evaluation research. The CNA experienced team will assist current, former, and future SPI sites in their efforts.

In addition, tbe CNA will support BJA in the assessment, identification, documentation, and dissemination of innovative practices that both do and do not work, based on rigorous assessment methodologies - particularly ones that preserve precious financial resources. The CNA will raise the standards for evidence-based practices and research by aligning TTA and site progress to two well-recognized standards: the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix at George Mason University and the standards for program inclusion on the CrimeSolutions.gov website. With these standards of assessment, the CNA will maximize the likelihood that SPI sties will generate valid and generalizable results that ultimately provide value to other agencies and communities.

NC/NCF