Originally published in the July 2013 issue of the Community Policing Dispatch from the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office.
The number one piece of advice savvy law enforcement officers give for maintaining safe, inclusive communities is this: Don't wait for a hate crime or a crisis to happen in your town before you take action; make sure you are taking a preventive approach and have established relationships and programs with members of different racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural groups in your community. But with busy schedules and limited resources, how do you engage your community in a meaningful way in the absence of a crisis?
