A deep understanding of trauma and its relationship to victimization is crucial to any law enforcement agency’s violent crime reduction strategy. Across the US, jurisdictions are recognizing this and seeking training and technical assistance (TTA) to inform their policies and approaches when interacting with individuals, families, and communities affected by violent crime. In this webinar, Dr. Justin Ramsdell, a well-respected forensic psychologist, expert witness, and law enforcement trainer, provided attendees with (1) a detailed understanding of the importance and relevance of traumatic victimization in a violent crime setting, (2) critical law enforcement skills for recognizing when victimization becomes traumatic, (3) knowledge of how traumatic victimization can affect a victim of violent crime, and (4) practical techniques and questions law enforcement can easily incorporate into their interview and investigation mechanisms. Additionally, Justin Boardman, a retired detective from West Valley City (Utah) Police Department, discussed how these trauma-informed techniques can directly reduce violent crime and dramatically improve case outcomes. Benjamin McCarty, a Program Director at the National Center for Victims of Crime, then discussed follow-up TTA available to PSN teams on these topics. The webinar closed out with attendees having an opportunity to engage with presenters through a question and answer session.
Presenters:
1) Dr. Justin Ramsdell, Assistant Professor, George Mason University (full bio here)
2) Justin Boardman, Retired Detective, West Valley City (Utah) Police Department (full bio here)
View the PowerPoint presentation here.