City of Shoreline awarded grant to implement and evaluate police RADAR program

In January 2015, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) issued a call for projects under their Smart Policing Initiative. 

The Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) sought programs that would build upon analysis driven, evidence-based policing by encouraging law enforcement agencies to develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to crime.

The DOJ estimated that they would make up to six awards for up to $700,000 each for an estimated $4.2 million in projects funded through this initiative. The 36-month project award period would begin on October 1, 2015.

Shoreline collaborated with the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and potential research partners from George Mason University and the Police Foundation to develop a competitive application for the Risk Awareness, De-escalation, and Referral (RADAR) program.

The proposed project calls for Shoreline Police to engage with the community to more effectively respond to crises involving individuals with mental health issues or cognitive/intellectual deficits. 

Additionally, a major component of this project is the rigorous process of evaluating the effectiveness of the RADAR approach.

The DOJ received over 100 applications for SPI funding, however, only seven were ultimately selected. The City of Shoreline was awarded $631,380 to implement and evaluate the RADAR program over three years.