HCSO’s community-focused model for countering extremism led to the agency earning the 2016 IACP/Booz Allen Hamilton Outstanding Achievement in the Prevention of Terrorism Award. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Minnesota, established a Community Engagement Team (CET) to develop and build strong, trusting relationships between HCSO and its multi-cultural communities while increasing public safety.Ĭommunity engagement is not only a sound investment for building relationships with the residents HCSO serves, it is also their frontline strategy for countering violent extremism. The definition and application of community policing can vary and be interpreted differently from agency to agency, but the benefits of community engagement and collaboration are proven to build trust and problem-solving capabilities between police and their communities. Police agencies throughout the country understand and embrace the importance of community policing. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing offers several recommendations for collaborating with the community to build relationships of trust between law enforcement officers and the community, including working with community members to produce meaningful public safety results.
Guest blogger: Tom Woodmansee, Senior Adviser, Safety and Security Division of CNA Planning, Designing, and Constructing Police Facilities.Impaired Driving and Traffic Safety Conference.