Uniting Communities Post-9/11: Tactics for Cultivating Community Policing Partnerships with Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Communities
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Uniting Communities Tactics for Cultivating Community Policing Partnerships with Post-9/11 Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Communities This project was supported by cooperative agreement number 2011-CK-WX-K014 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the authors or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the authors nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity. Recommended citation: Saint-Fort, Pradine, and Susan Shah. 2015. Uniting Communities Post-9/11: Tactics for Cultivating Community Policing Partnerships with Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian Communities. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. ISBN: 978-1-932582-99-4 Published 2015 Contents Letter from the Director ....................................................................................... v Letter from Vera’s Director .................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments ............................................................................................ vii Executive Summary ........................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 3 Section 1: Project Sites and Local Partners ..................................................................... 7 Section 2: Barriers to Community Oriented Policing in AMEMSA Communities and Tactics for Overcoming Them ............................................................................ 11 Barrier to community partnerships: Lack of a liaison ...................................................... 11 Causes of lacking a liaison .............................................................................. 11 Consequences of lacking a liaison ...................................................................... 12 Tactics for developing liaisons .......................................................................... 12 Barrier to problem solving: Underreporting of crime ...................................................... 16 Causes of underreporting .............................................................................. 17 Consequences of underreporting ....................................................................... 18 Tactics to increase reporting ........................................................................... 18 Barrier to organizational transformation: Underdeveloped organizational capacity ....................... 23 Causes of underdeveloped organizational capacity ..................................................... 23 Consequences of underdeveloped organizational capacity ............................................. 24 Tactics to develop organizational capacity .............................................................. 25 Snapshot of tactics ........................................................................................ 28 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 29 Appendixes................................................................................................... 31 Appendix A. Additional resources ......................................................................... 33 Informational guides and reports ...................................................................... 33 Useful websites ........................................................................................ 36 Resources for enhanced coordination and information sharing ......................................... 36 Training videos ........................................................................................ 37 National Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian advocacy organizations ....................... 37 Uniting Communities Post-9/11 iii Contents Appendix B. United Communities methodology ........................................................... 39 Overview .............................................................................................. 39 Site and partner selection ............................................................................. 39 Data collection, informed consent, and confidentiality.................................................. 40 Data analysis ........................................................................................... 41 Briefing workshops .................................................................................... 41 Appendix C. Demographic profile of community and police interviewees .................................. 43 Police interviewees .................................................................................... 43 Community interviewees .............................................................................. 44 Appendix D. Interview guides ............................................................................. 47 Glossary of terms and abbreviations used in this guide .................................................... 59 Endnotes ..................................................................................................... 61 About Vera ................................................................................................... 66 About the COPS Office ........................................................................................ 67 iv Uniting Communities Post-9/11 Letter from the Director Appendix B. United Communities methodology ........................................................... 39 Overview .............................................................................................. 39 Dear colleagues, Site and partner selection ............................................................................. 39 Data collection, informed consent, and confidentiality .................................................. 40 Community policing has been a dominant approach to public safety in the United States for at least two Data analysis ........................................................................................... 41 decades. The number of police agencies adopting community policing across our nation has grown Briefing workshops .................................................................................... 41 steadily during that time, and the philosophy has been adapted for use across the globe. As a philosophy and framework for civic engagement, community policing has proven to be adaptable to addressing a Appendix C. Demographic profile of community and police interviewees .................................. 43 wide array of public safety and civic engagement issues experienced across our nation’s communities. Police interviewees .................................................................................... 43 Community interviewees .............................................................................. 44 In the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, community policing was instrumental in a variety of ways. Community policing was essential, for instance, in helping shape how individual jurisdictions Appendix D. Interview guides ............................................................................. 47 responded effectively and responsibly to unprecedented public fears. Community policing was critical Glossary of terms and abbreviations used in this guide .................................................... 59 for helping quiet amplified public discourse and quell the heightened potential for hate crimes and back lash, particularly against Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities, in the immediate Endnotes ..................................................................................................... 61 aftermath of the tragic events. Across local, state, tribal, and federal jurisdictions, law enforcement About Vera ................................................................................................... 66 agencies responding to this new threat applied foundational community policing principles to address About the COPS Office ........................................................................................ 67 novel challenges—principles that had been developed by police leaders over decades to build bridges of trust and cooperation with and across their various communities. Although the landscape of policing has changed dramatically in the post-9/11 era—and will continue to change in an increasingly global and interconnected world—the foundational elements of community policing endure. Community policing remains essential for building and maintaining relationships of trust and establishing the police legitima cy so necessary for achieving partnerships and collaboration with the diverse communities we serve. In furtherance of this important mission, I am pleased to present Uniting Communities Post 9/11: Tactics for Cultivating Community Policing Partnerships with Arab, Middle Eastern,