On February 13, 2008, OVC will host a Web Forum Guest Host Session on best practices for serving victims of crime in urban neighborhoods that experience substantial amounts of crime. Join Linda Miller and Kerry Cosgrove, OVC Urban High-Crime Neighborhood Initiative grantees, for the live discussion at 2 p.m. ET. (OVC)

The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) is accepting nominations for the Fifth Annual National Neighborhood Watch Awards of Excellence, which will be presented during the 2008 NSA Conference. Programs that have made an exceptional contribution to the Neighborhood Watch program in their communities are encouraged to submit nominations to NSA by March 31, 2008. (BJA)

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week is February 4-8, 2008. Join OVW this month and throughout the year in addressing and preventing dating violence. For more information, visit www.enditnow.gov. (OVW)

In recognition of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week (February 4-8, 2008), NCJRS has created a Teen Dating Violence Special Feature. This special feature contains links to publications and related resources that provide information about dating violence among teens and what can be done to prevent the occurrence of teen dating violence. (NCJRS)

Application deadline: Open (contingent upon fund availability)
Helping Outreach Programs to Expand (HOPE) grant awards help recipients improve their outreach and services to crime victims. Funds may be used by grassroots, nonprofit, community-based, and faith-based victim services organizations and coalitions to develop programs, aid networking, build coalitions, and deliver services. (OVC)

Application deadline: February 29, 2008
MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation are partnering to recognize, sustain, and share the work of innovative partnerships between community groups and police to promote neighborhood safety and revitalization. Awardees will receive monetary grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. (BJA)

Application deadline: February 19, 2008
The Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families is accepting applications for its Basic Center Program. The program offers an alternative to runaway and homeless youth by providing appropriate shelter, counseling, and aftercare. (OJJDP)

Application deadline: March 24, 2008
Funding is available for NIJ’s Postconviction DNA Testing Assistance Program. The program will offer funding to help states defray the costs associated with postconviction DNA testing of forcible rape, murder, and nonnegligent manslaughter cases in which actual innocence might be demonstrated. (NIJ)

A Technical Resource Person (TRP) is sought to facilitate a Kansas Evidence Based Practice Implementation program. The TRP will facilitate the implementation process at the Kansas Department of Corrections and at selected local community corrections agencies. Onsite and offsite facilitation and coaching, beginning in early April 2008 and continuing for 12 months, are required. (NIC)

Application deadlines: February 21, 2008, for applications under “National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims” and May 29, 2008, for all others
The FY 2008 National Field-Generated Training, Technical Assistance, and Demonstration Projects grant offers awards of $50,000 to $500,000 to support the development of national-scope training, technical assistance, and demonstration project initiatives. All initiatives must focus on improving the capacity of victim service providers and allied practitioners to advance rights and services to crime victims. (OVC)

COPS has launched The Community Policing Dispatch, a monthly online newsletter. This forum aims to educate readers about criminal justice issues affecting the implementation of community policing and to assist law enforcement practitioners in more effectively addressing crime and social disorder in their communities. (COPS)

"Strategies for Success: New Pathways to Drug Abuse Prevention" provides a wealth of guidance and resources on student drug testing program development, implementation, and maintenance. The newsletter explores what happens when a drug testing program is halted (and ultimately restarted) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and discusses the effects of marijuana and nonmedical use of prescription drugs. (ONDCP)

The fifth NIJ Applied Technologies Conference will be held in Point Clear, Alabama, on March 18-20, 2008. The conference will showcase tools and technologies that enhance the safety of our communities and will feature forums for discussing procedures, policies, and issues that arise when new technology is introduced in a community. (NIJ)

BJA invites you to join colleagues from your region to learn about the latest information on key issues in law enforcement and criminal justice at BJA's 2008 Regional Training Series. The South Region Conference will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 11-13, 2008. (BJA)

OJJDP will hold two conferences on Accessing and Sustaining Resources for Community and Faith-Based Organizations. The first conference will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 19-20, 2008, and the second will be held in Los Angeles, California, on April 1-2, 2008. Early registration is recommended because space is limited. (OJJDP)

On February 7, 2008, from 2 to 4 p.m. ET, join a group of experts to discuss the state of Prison Rape Elimination Act research--what data are available and what is yet to come. This free online event, Sexual Victimization in Prisons: Moving Toward Elimination, will examine ways to move from better understanding to reliable prevention and eventual elimination. Registration is required. (NIJ)

Register now for OVC’s upcoming training workshops, including Identity Theft, February 20-21, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Responding to School Violence, March 11-12, 2008, in Portland, Oregon. To view course descriptions, learning objectives, or to register, visit the OVC TTAC Web site. (OVC)

The 2008 National Victim Assistance Academy will be held May 4-9, 2008, in St. Louis, Missouri. Visit OVC's Training Center for more information and to be added to the mailing list. (OVC)