Excerpt from the Resource Guide for Enhancing Community Relationships and Protecting Privacy and Constitutional Rights

[1]Building strong police-community relations requires a sustained effort over time, yet maintaining these relationships is exceedingly difficult during and in the aftermath of a high-profile incident or civil unrest. Especially during these tumultuous times, professional law enforcement and effective police operations are necessary for preserving the peace and maintaining the public’s trust. This requires planning and preparation before an incident even occurs and should include a close examination of police practices, policies, and operations—from evaluating protocols and training to choosing the appropriate equipment and uniforms.

For many years, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) have been developing guides, publications, webinars, checklists, and tools for law enforcement on community policing, building trust, diversity training, protecting privacy, safeguarding first amendment rights, ensuring procedural justice, preventing racial profiling, and related topics. BJA and the COPS Office have partnered to gather these resources into a comprehensive guide to better assist your department or agency in your ongoing efforts to build stronger community-police relations as you fulfill your dual role of preserving the peace and maintaining the public’s trust.

Click here to download the guide from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's website. [1]