Deborah Spence

Deborah Spence, MA, MS

Deborah Spence spent two decades with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). As the Assistant Director for Training and Partner Engagement, she oversaw a $20M+ training grant portfolio and cultivated partnerships across government, academia and the private sector to address key issues in policing, including officer mental health and wellness, active shooter response and de-escalation training. An experienced Contracting Officer’s Representative, she managed complex federal contracts and ensured compliance with federal acquisition regulations. As member of the senior leadership team, she also advised on office-wide initiatives related to policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, budget formulation, performance metrics, program evaluation, grant program design and management.

Among her significant contributions to the Office’s success, she was the founding editor-in-chief of the COPS Office e-newsletter: the Community Policing Dispatch. She also spearheaded the Office’s transition into social media, oversaw the launch of its podcast and video series, and led the development of the COPS Training Portal: an online training platform that expanded to a catalog of 40 courses and facilitated over 100,000 course completions within five years. Ms. Spence also served as the project manager for President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

The author of multiple articles, research reports and guides for law enforcement professionals - and twice honored by the National Association of Government Communicators - Ms. Spence also regularly speaks at major public safety meetings and conferences across the country, testified before multiple international commissions on public safety, and has appeared on podcasts and radio broadcasts. Her research and professional interests include community policing strategies, police training and professional development and officer wellness. Both before and after her federal service, she has prepared numerous successful grant and contract proposals for public and private sector clients. She earned her M.S. in Justice, Law, and Society from American University, and her M.A. (Hons) in Modern History from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.