July 20,
2016

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The Weekly Snapshot                            
Your source for the latest tips, information, and current campus safety resources from the NCCPS.                       

Timely Safety and Awareness Information on Recent Violent Acts

Nationally, there have been two tragic incidents of extreme violent acts in the past two weeks that involved multiple law enforcement officers being attacked and killed in the line of duty. On Monday, July 18, 2016, President Barack Obama issued an open letter to the nation's law enforcement community, expressing gratitude and support for their heroic efforts and grief over the recent loss of too many of law enforcement officers who serve in their communities. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch also released a statement on the latest events in Baton Rouge, LA, emphasizing there is "no place in the United States for such appalling violence, and I condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms. I pledge the full support of the Department of Justice as the investigation unfolds. Our hearts and prayers are with the fallen and wounded officers, their families, and the entire Baton Rouge community in this extraordinarily difficult time."
 
The actions displayed during these tragic incidents underline the continued interest of U.S.-based violent extremism. It is important to note potential extreme violent acts are not targeted to one specific group of law enforcement, and an individual(s) displaying violent behaviors may not distinguish between sworn and non-sworn campus public safety or law enforcement officials.
 
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force Campus Liaison Program designates a Campus Liaison Agent (CLA) in each field office - 56 offices nationwide - to coordinate with campus public safety officials and administrators to address terror threats, help prevent attacks, and provide access to FBI resources.
 
To receive timely awareness and safety information on the Baton Rouge incident, further occurrences of extreme violence, and other campus safety-related information, we strongly encourage you to connect and regularly collaborate with your designated CLA. You can locate your nearest field office using the FBI's online map. If you have not yet met your CLA, or you need assistance with making a connection, please contact us so we may help facilitate the introduction. 

New NCCPS Trauma-Informed Institute Scheduled!
 
Did you miss the chance to join us in DC this week for the delivery of our Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigation and Adjudication Institute at our Annual Conference?  More opportunities to attend are coming soon. We worked with nationally recognized subject matter experts to develop the Institute's vital curriculum and look forward to delivering it nationally in the coming months.
 
We are pleased to announce the next public offering of our Institute on
September 13-16, 2016 at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. Registration is open to representatives from institutions of higher education and their local partners involved in the investigation and adjudication of sexual and gender-based violence reports on campus. We encourage representation from your campus/community multi-disciplinary teams. Discounts are available for institutions registering five or more participants at the same time. Space is limited - a design intended to promote learner success through more in-depth engagement with our faculty - so register now to save your seat!
 
Stay tuned for upcoming Institute dates in future Weekly Snapshot bulletins and  contact us or check out our website for additional information.

Political Instability, Violence, and Travel Abroad
 
Over the past week, the international community has been shaken by two incidents: a devastating terror attack in Nice, France, which killed 84 people and injured more than 300, followed two days later by an attempted military coup in Turkey. The terror attack in France is the third incident there in 18 months and comes just as the country's state of emergency was about to expire. President Hollande has now extended it for an additional three months. In Turkey, democratically-elected President Erdogan survived a coup attempt by members of his military. Thousands suspected of plotting and participating in the coup have been rounded up and jailed.
 
These tragic incidents of terror and political instability come on the heel of another terror attack in Bangladesh in early July where those killed included a 19-year old, Indian national female student attending the University of California at Berkeley. Sadly, a second Berkeley student was confirmed deceased in the Nice attack. Twenty-year old Nicolas Leslie was one of 85 students attending a Berkeley study abroad program on entrepreneurship and innovation and was one of three Americans killed in Nice.
 
Although it is summer, colleges and universities continue to have travel and study abroad programs in session that include undergrad and graduate students, faculty, and staff. International conditions are continually changing and institutions of higher education and those traveling should be aware of resources available to assist in preparing for and staying in a "host" country as well as visiting other nearby destinations. This includes receiving notifications of travel alerts and bans.
 
We've assembled some key resources and information to assist you and those traveling from your community:
  • Emerging Issues in Managing International Programs at Institutions of Higher Education (PDF) - Findings of an NCCPS focus group of college and university global programs executives. Appendix A (pp. 18 - 19) provides a list of key health and safety resources to enhance health and safety in travel/study abroad programs.
  • Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) - STEP is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Enrolling in STEP allows users to receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in their destination country, helps the U.S. Embassy contact travelers in an emergency, and allows family and friends get in touch with travelers in an emergency.
  • Smart Traveler App - The official U.S. Department of State app for U.S. travelers going abroad, "Smart Traveler" provides access to official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more. Users may also choose to enroll in STEP so the State Department can better assist them in an emergency.
  • Students Abroad - A website of information and resources managed by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State that covers travel documents, health, emergencies, embassies, smart travel, spring break, go guides, voting, news, and alerts.
  • Travel.State.Gov - This U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs website offers information on applying for and checking the status of a U.S. passport; a traveler's checklist, personal safety tips, and information on health conditions abroad for pre-travel planning; destination country information; links to learn about birth, marriage, voting, and death abroad; and emergency resources. 
Access previous NCCPS news articles on  Study Abroad Health and Safety and Keeping Campus Communities Safe Abroad that include resources on travel/study abroad policies and procedures.

Access our online calendar of events.
Professional Development Opportunities

Title:  FY 2016 Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program Webinar
Information: A series of webinars have been scheduled to assist non-governmental organizations and  institutions of higher education to understand the CVE grant program's goals, core elements, review process, and timeline, and have an opportunity to ask questions about the information presented. 
Host: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Date: July 25, 2016 at 2:00PM ET
Location: Online
Fee: Free

Title : Pedestrian/Bicycle Crash Investigation
Host : Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM)
Dates : August 1-5, 2016
Location : Miami, FL 
Fee : Registration fee
 
Title : Promoting Community Cybersecurity (AWR135)
Host : Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)
Date : August 9, 2016
Location : Sanford, FL
Fee : Free


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This project was supported by Grant No. 2013-MU-BX-K011 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes 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. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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