With support from the National Institute of Justice, Vera researchers are partnering with the Arab-American Law Enforcement Association (AALEA)—a coalition of law enforcement personnel based in Dearborn, Michigan—and working with similar organizations around the country to identify promising practices that balance law enforcement's need for cooperation in maintaining public safety and security with the community members' need for respectful and effective policing services.
In the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, communities of Arab descent have experienced heightened enforcement of immigration laws and increased government surveillance of their neighborhoods and institutions, including religious sites. Some members of these communities fear that they will become targets of ethnic or religious profiling by police officers. At the same time, these communities may have a greater need for police services, particularly where they have experienced increased signs of hostility from other segments of the population.
Vera researchers surveyed law enforcement and community leaders in 16 sites around the country with large numbers or percentages of Arab-American residents to identify promising practices developed within the new security conditions. Based on the data collected, four sites were selected for more in-depth study, which included site visits, interviews, and focus groups with community residents and police officers.
By studying police-community relations in these locations and documenting promising adaptations of community policing techniques, we hope to suggest specific strategies that local, state, and national officials can use to foster mutually cooperative relationships between local police and Arab-American communities.