Use of Force Data Collection Program Information

Posted: December 12, 2018

Program Overview
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began collecting Use-of-Force (UoF) data in 2018, under consultation with representatives from law enforcement in collaboration with the FBI. To aid in this effort, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is planning to begin the voluntary collection of Use-of-Force (UoF) incident data as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting program on January 1, 2019. This is being initiated with the goal to have all Colorado law enforcement agencies reporting this information to the CBI by December 31, 2019. Although there has been some interest by Colorado agencies in participating in this national collection, the CBI knows a number of public safety agencies are not aware of the program launched by the FBI earlier this year.

Law enforcement use-of-force (UoF) has been a topic of national interest. The opportunity to analyze information related to UoF incidents and to have an informed dialogue is hindered by the lack of nationwide statistics. The FBI, with support of the CBI, believes collection of this data will assist law enforcement in analyzing how and when their officers uses force, and under what circumstances. This type of data can improve the consistency of training and responses.

With national data collection, data users can view UoF incidents involving law enforcement from a nationwide perspective. The goal of the resulting statistics is not to offer anecdotal insight into single UoF incidents, but to provide an aggregate view of all incidents and the circumstances involved. This data collection was developed by law enforcement representatives to focus on information that is readily known and can be reported within days of a UoF occurrence. Statistical reports emphasize the collective nature of the data and will not assess whether the officers involved in UoF incidents acted lawfully or within the bounds of department policy.

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K9s For Warriors - Because Together We Stand

Posted: December 12, 2018

K9s For Warriors is a BBB accredited charity organization located in Ponte Vedra, Florida, that has been pairing rescue dogs with traumatized soldiers since 2011. The dogs are trained to be service dogs, specifically performing tasks to quiet the symptoms of war trauma disabilities in soldiers.

“The skillsets our dogs learn help these warriors with anxiety, isolation, depression, and nightmares,” says Shari Duval, the founder of K9s For Warriors. “So, the warriors can function again in public.”

Specifically, the dogs are trained to deal with symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or military sexual trauma (MST), as a result of military service on or after 9/11.

K9s For Warriors sees it as two battles: fighting the past of the dog and fighting the past of the warrior.

Duval started the program after watching her son Brett Simon suffer from PTSD after he returned from Iraq. Simon did two tours, developing PTSD during the first one. Watching her son suffer from the debilitating condition motivated Duval to research alternative treatments to the standard talk therapy and medication, neither of which worked for her son.

“On average, soldiers take 14 meds a day to treat PTSD, TBI, or MST,” says Duval. If treatment is not working, she says veterans are prescribed more and more drugs. “I even knew one soldier who was taking 44 meds per day.”

After two years of researching alternative PTSD treatments, Duval came upon a program that paired service dogs to alleviate their PTSD symptoms in veterans.

According to Simon, “Mom was the one that suggested I use a service dog to deal with my PTSD when nothing else worked.” Duval saw her son’s symptoms begin to improve. She then wanted to help other veterans do the same.

Thus, the K9s For Warrior program was born. With her son’s background in training dogs, including 13 years as a canine police officer, Duval convinced Simon to start the nonprofit together.

To date, the program has rescued more than 850 dogs and 440 military service members, with an astounding 99% program success rate.

Based on a recent Purdue study, the organization’s mission seems to be making a difference in the lives of warriors.

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