“We’re there to help people at their time of need, in their worst possible moments, we're there. The difference we can make by the way we treat people in that moment of crisis is huge. That's why we get into police work.”

Chief David Porter

Chief of Police, DeWitt Police Department (IA)

IACP Victim Services Committee Chair

The IACP recently released the Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims (ELERV) Strategy, second edition and an accompanying resource package. The ELERV Strategy introduces police leaders to the benefits, challenges, and methods to adopting victim-centered, trauma-informed philosophies and practices to enhance their victim response. This comprehensive update to the original ELERV Strategy released in 2009 includes updated content, promising practices, and insights from demonstration sites and research teams who have implemented the ELERV Strategy in their agencies and communities.

Structured around the four core principles of Leadership, Partnering, Training, and Performance Monitoring, the ELERV Strategy can be implemented across all ranks and disciplines at an agency. Concrete steps and tools are provided to support implementation efforts, including videos, foundational documents, linked resources, and customizable templates for immediate use. The ELERV Strategy can create a lasting impact by helping build bridges in communities, increase crime reporting and case resolutions, and increase confidence and trust.

To learn more and explore these new online resources, please visit www.responsetovictims.org. For questions and technical assistance, please contact the project team at [email protected].

The ELERV Strategy, 2nd edition publication, video series, and related resources were developed under Cooperative Agreement 2018-V3- GX-K066, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.