Mass Violence Advisory Initiative
The Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI) provides peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders following a mass violence event to maximize the safety and wellness of officers, other first responders, and the community. Request Assistance.
Check out the MVAI Library of Resources! The library is a searchable database of resources related to preparation, response, and recovery efforts for mass violence and mass casualty events.
Recognizing that incidents of mass violence present a myriad of unique challenges to law enforcement leaders while under intense pressure, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have partnered to launch the Mass Violence Advisory Initiative (MVAI). This initiative will provide peer-to-peer assistance to law enforcement leaders following a mass violence tragedy to maximize the safety and wellness of officers, other first responders, and the community. The MVAI will advise these groups by sharing promising practices for communicating with community members and the media and connecting law enforcement leaders with local, state, and federal partners. The initiative will also address agency, victim, and survivor’s mental wellbeing.
Examples of acts of mass violence include:
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These tragedies can cause deep and long-lasting trauma to families, first responders, and community members. The IACP recognizes that due to the complex, unique, and urgent nature of these events, law enforcement leaders responding to mass violence incidents will benefit from the knowledge of other law enforcement personnel who have experienced a similar incident. Agencies requesting assistance from MVAI following a mass violence incident will be connected with a member of the Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team who will provide guidance and assistance based on their experience with these types of tragedies. The IACP will provide these services at no cost to the agency in need.
Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team
Upon request, the IACP’s Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team will deploy subject matter experts (SMEs), virtually and in-person, to provide assistance to law enforcement leaders when a mass violence incident occurs. These SMEs include individuals from different vocations who have first-hand experience guiding law enforcement agencies and communities through similar tragedies. Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team personnel will remain in contact and provide guidance in the months following an incident, ensuring that law enforcement leaders have the tools and information they need to help first responders and communities heal.
Our SME team includes:
- Dr. Gene Deisinger, Psychologist; Virginia Tech Shooting (2007) and other critical incidents
- Doug Fuchs, Chief of Police (Ret.), Redding (CT) Police Department; Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (2012)
- Michelle Guido, Director of Strategic Communications, Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office; Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)
- Maris Herold, Chief of Police (Ret.), Boulder (CO) Police Department; King Sooper's Supermarket Shooting (2021)
- Michael Kehoe, Chief of Police (Ret.), Newtown (CT) Police Department; Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting (2012)
- Kenneth Mead, Detective, Las Vegas (NV) Metropolitan Police Department; Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting (2017)
- Roxanne Miller, Licensed Professional Counselor, Metro Nashville Police Department, Has provided support following several critical incidents
- John Mina, Sheriff, Orange County (FL) Sheriff's Office, Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)
- Gregory Mullen, Chief of Police (Ret.), Clemson University Police Department, Charleston church shooting (2015)
- Dr. John Nicoletti, Psychologist; Columbine High School Shooting (1999), Aurora Movie Theater Shooting (2012)
- Daniel Oates, Chief of Police (Ret.), Aurora (CO) Police Department; Aurora Movie Theater Shooting (2012)
- Max Schachter, Victim Advocate, Safe Schools For Alex; Father of Parkland School Shooting Victim, Alex Schachter (2018)
- Connie Schonert, Supervising Probation Officer, Orange County (CA) Probation Department; Survivor/Peer Supporter, Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting (2017)
- Charlie Scoma, Chaplain, Seattle (WA) Police Department; Supported SPD and surrounding agencies during several critical incidents
- Dr. Ronal Serpas, Superintendent (Ret.), New Orleans (LA) Police Department; Bourbon Street Shooting (2014)
- Dustin Sternbeck, Chief Communications Officer, Denton (TX) Police Department; January 6 Insurrection (2021) and other critical incidents
- Frank Straub, Sr. Director Violence Prevention & Co-Director, Adolescent Targeted Violence Prevention Project, Safe and Sound Schools; Multiple critical incidents
- Daniel Thompson, Chief of Police, Waukesha (WI) Police Department; Waukesha Christmas Parade Crash
- Kristen Ziman, Chief of Police (Ret.), Aurora (IL) Police Department; Henry Pratt Company Shooting (2019)
- Cara Zinski-Neace, Executive Director of News and Communications, University of Dayton; Ned Peppers Bar Shooting (2019)
If you are interested in participating as an SME for this initiative, please fill out this form.
Library of Resources
The library is a searchable database of resources related to preparation, response, and recovery efforts for mass violence and mass casualty events. Included are a variety of publications, trainings, webinars, guidebooks, articles, after-action reports, and other resources to better inform law enforcement leaders and community partners. Resources are of no- to low-cost and new tools are continuously being added.
Click here to access the MVAI Library of Resources. You will need to log in with your IACP credentials or create a free account to access.
MVAI Connect
Connect with peers by joining MVAI Connect, the IACP Mass Violence Advisory Initiative Community of Practice. This online platform provides a forum to connect with other law enforcement leaders, mental health and victim service providers, educators, and faith and community leaders. You can pose questions and share resources, ideas, and best practices to help law enforcement leaders respond to and communities heal following a mass violence event. Through this community of practice, you will have a direct line to MVAI subject matter experts and leaders in the field to provide valuable insight and guidance on healing in the aftermath of a tragic critical incident.
Membership is open to all IACP members, and qualified non-members, who have an interest in learning or sharing resources about responding to and recovering from a mass violence incident. Click here to join now!
Resources
- Project Information
- MVAI Products
- Considerations for Law Enforcement Leaders
- IACP@Work: Healing in the Wake of Harm
- Podcast Episode 1: Healing in the Wake of Harm
- Podcast Episode 2: Communication During Crisis
- Podcast Episode 3: Officer and Community Healing After Tragedy
- Webinar: You Don't Know What You Don't Know: The Importance of Peer Support for Law Enforcement Leaders in the Wake of Incidents of Mass Violence
- Additional Resources
Case Study: The 2019 Oregon District Mass Shooting, Dayton, Ohio
In what would become the deadliest mass shooting in Ohio since 1975’s Easter Sunday Massacre, on August 4, 2019 at just after 1:00 a.m., Connor Betts, 24, opened fire outside the Ned Peppers Bar in Dayton, Ohio. Nine people, including Betts’ own sister, were killed. Another 17 people were wounded by gunfire and an additional 10 were injured by other causes. Betts was carrying an AR pattern pistol with a shortened barrel, chambered in .223-caliber and equipped with a 100-round drum magazine. He was outfitted in a mask and tactical body armor. Law enforcement officers were on scene within 20 seconds and killed Betts within 32 seconds; within those 32 seconds, Betts fired 41 rounds into the unsuspecting crowd.
In her article, The Psychological Toll of Mass Violence Response: The 2019 Oregon District Mass Shooting, Dayton, Ohio, Kathy Platoni, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist with the Dayton Police Department, details the effect of mass violence incidents on the mental health of the first responders and shares the approach her agency took to mitigate these effects. For the full article and additional resources, see below.
Article: The Overlooked Element of Mass Shooting Response
This article, authored by subject matter experts Daniel J. Oates, Chief (Ret.), Aurora Police Department, Colorado and Philip T. Pulaski, Chief of Detectives (Ret.), New York City Police Department, serves as essential guidance for chiefs and their investigative teams following a mass shooting.
Police Chief Magazine Article
Contact Information
Contact us at [email protected] for additional information or to request assistance.
| This project is supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 15PBJA-23-GK-05521-JAGP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. |  |
