At the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference earlier this morning, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Department of Justice’s new Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR) initiative and the allocation of $800,000 to development a nationwide training and technical assistance program.
According to the Justice Department, “Every line of duty death is tragic. Not only is there a loss of a hero, there are long-lasting ramifications for families, agencies, and the erosion of public confidence in the safety of their communities.”
The VALOR Initiative will train officers how to deal with the “deadly mix” situation of the officer, offender, and the circumstances that brought them together, along with training on identifying concealed weapons, hostage situations, dealing with domestic and international terrorists, and other violent scenarios.
“I applaud the Justice Department for their commitment to officer safety. This news comes on a day when law enforcement fatalities are up 42% from the previous year. We owe it to our law enforcement officers to ensure they are equipped with the best training and assistance,” said Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO, Craig W. Floyd.
To learn more about the VALOR Initiative visit:
http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/1037
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/October/10-ag-1201.html