NCJ Number
211119
Date Published
August 2005
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This report describes a joint project of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Vera Institute of Justice that aimed to strengthen relations between police and the many new immigrant communities in the city.
Abstract
The core activity of the project involved three forums that brought together police officials and representatives of three immigrant communities: the Arab-American, Muslim, and South Asian communities. Recognizing that the agenda for the forums would vary among the different immigrant groups represented, the project sought input from representatives of each immigrant group regarding the topics they wanted to address. One section of this report presents the structure for one of the three forums, i.e., the one held with the Arab-American community, so as to provide a model for the management of this type of initiative. Similar issues identified by all three communities were fear of deportation; imported fear or mistrust of police, crime, and justice systems; and language and cultural differences. Consequently, the agendas of the three forums had a similar content. The project showed that regular channels of communication between immigrant community representatives and police help build trust and create a structure for resolving tensions before they escalate. Another finding was that diversity and political divisions within immigrant communities require police to establish links with representatives who hold diverse views. This report intends to assist other police departments, local government officials, and community groups interested in building relations between police and difficult-to-reach immigrant communities. 2 charts, 22 notes, and appended supplementary information