Community Safety

Community Toolkits

Submitted by admin on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 12:02.

New immigrants’ wellbeing and sense of belonging to our society flourish when they experience protection from crime, witness crime prevention in their neighborhoods, and have positive and productive encounters with law enforcement authorities. Law enforcement must work with immigrant populations and not against them if they are to ensure the safety of our communities. They must build relationships with the immigrant community by dispelling fear, increasing communication and promoting inclusion.

Establishing good communication, mutual trust and strong alliances requires the effort and commitment of both law enforcement agencies and immigrant communities. While this is a challenging task, there are a series of initiatives local police departments may take to facilitate this process. These include:

  • Recruiting immigrant and bilingual personnel to staff state and local public safety agencies
  • Appointing representatives of immigrant communities to state boards overseeing public safety policies
  • Encouraging communities to craft policies that restrict police from inquiring into immigration status

Policy Ideas

  • Implement policies to protect victims of and witnesses to crime by limiting police inquiry into immigration status.
  • Implement policies to prevent and combat racial profiling by law enforcement.
  • Establish a system of reports, audits, and complaint procedures to address improper police inquiry about immigration information.
  • Implement a policy prohibiting local law enforcement agencies from participating in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
  • Establish municipal identification documents, provide them to local residents regardless of status, and promote their universal use.
  • Conduct or commission studies on the effectiveness of community policing and broad participation in crime-fighting efforts.
  • Conduct anticrime education and outreach programs educating immigrants on how to avoid becoming victims of crime (e.g., opening bank accounts rather than carrying cash), how to report crimes when they have been victimized; how to avoid unknowingly violating city ordinances (e.g., cars on front lawns, overcrowded housing), and how to steer children away from gangs.

    • MUNICIPAL

    FEDERAL

    © 2009 Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights