ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorney General Eric Holder spoke at the annual IACP Conference today and unveiled an initiative aimed at reducing and preventing line-of-duty deaths and injuries.
The initiative, called Violence Against Law Enforcement and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR), was designed by the Department of Justice. It aims to train officers in techniques for approaching violent encounters, the goal being to reduce deaths.
A key aspect of the VALOR initiative will be how to anticipate and survive a violent encounter, with training based on the deadly mix framework (officer, offender, and circumstances that brought them together), according to a release.
Cops will also learn how to identify concealed weapons and armed gunmen, and be trained for high-risk tactical situations that may involve shooters or hostages. These skills will ideally be applicable in combating terrorists and extremists as well.
More than a third of the 163 cops killed on duty since last October died by gunfire.
“These losses of mothers and fathers, spouses and siblings, children and colleagues represent and alarming increase in police officer fatalities,” Holder said. “The Justice Department is committed to turning back this rising tide; to meeting increased violence with renewed vigilance; and to doing everything within our power – and using every tool at our disposal – to keep law enforcement officers safe.”
