Joint Criminal-Epidemiological Investigations Workshop

Criminal-Epidemiological Program Overview

Collaboration between law enforcement and public health has not always been recognized as beneficial. In the past, it was common for law enforcement and public health to conduct separate and independent investigations during the response to a suspicious biological incident. However, following the 2001 anthrax mailings, a mechanism for increasing cooperation and coordination between law enforcement and public health was developed: Joint Criminal-Epidemiological Investigations Model. This model is not solely limited to the investigative process; rather, it incorporates a number of procedures and methodologies that require interaction between law enforcement and public health prior to the detection of a biological threat and through its resulting investigation.

The Joint Criminal-Epidemiological Investigations Model allows law enforcement and public health to achieve their common goals by enabling a more efficient response to a biological threat, resulting in earlier detection of an attack, identification of a source, and implementation of interventions, thereby mitigating the effects of the outbreak. Additionally, this model highlights the need to combine the investigative efforts of law enforcement and public health, which minimizes potential discrepancies between investigators and maximizes the opportunities to identify, apprehend, prosecute and convict the perpetrator of the attack.

Training Objectives

• Understand roles and authorities of law enforcement and public health, and what expertise and resources each discipline has to offer, during a suspicious biological incident.

• Demonstrate types of information gathered by law enforcement and public health and how sharing information can advance both investigations.

• Discuss best practices for a joint threat assessment, investigation protocol, and patient interview.

• Foster working relationships; identify informal contacts prior to incident so familiarity is established.

Targeted Audience

Epidemiologists, emergency preparedness managers, local and State laboratories, community health specialists, public health nurses and physicians, local and State police, task force officers, FBI, first responders/EMS, fire/hazmat, Civil Support Teams.

Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.  Workshop begins at 8:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm.