The Justice Department has announced that it is creating an online portal and resource center to provide law enforcement agencies and the public access to federal reports, training, academic research and subject-matter experts.
Officials described the “National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab” as an attempt to compile a one-stop shop of information and best practices that are scattered across federal agencies and outside organizations. The goal is to create a road map for police departments seeking to implement reforms, the Washington Post reports.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta unveiled the initiative during a kickoff event in Los Angeles, where dozens of police officials and community leaders gathered for two days of workshops to develop ideas. The Justice Department is collaborating with the National Policing Institute, a nonprofit policy organization, and 21st Century Policing Solutions, an outside consultant, to build the portal, which will be overseen by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
In her remarks, Gupta said she had recognized the need for a centralized portal since her stint overseeing Justice’s civil rights division during the Obama administration. She pledged that the Knowledge Lab “will not just end up being a one-and-done website that will live on the Internet,” saying the project had “game-changing” potential.
