Community Relations Service

Daryl Borgquist
202/305-2966
www.usdoj.gov/crs

     WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Monday, June 30, 2003, U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) Director Sharee M. Freeman will be a keynote presenter at the 13^th Annual School Resource Officer/School Safety Conference, "Saluting America's Heroes," in Orlando, Florida. The session will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort.

     "School safety is a top priority of every family with school-age children. Schools with multicultural student populations representing widely diverse backgrounds are now common and bring with them opportunities to learn about other cultures," said CRS Director Sharee M. Freeman.

     The National Association of School Resource Officers Convention will be attended by 1,500 school resource officers, school administrators, and school safety professionals from the United States and other nations. The 13^th Annual Conference will be held from June 29 through July 4, 2003.

     The Community Relations Service offers several programs for managing school multicultural conflict. CRS resolves community conflicts between students, parent, community organizations, school personnel, police and school security by facilitating meetings, identifying and prioritizing problems, and developing long-term solutions. CRS can also help address community racial concerns following a hate incident. CRS provides training for student mediators and facilitates the establishment of student response teams. CRS provides training and helps facilitate a two-day series of problem-solving sessions resolving conflict in multicultural schools and school districts.

     CRS is a unique federal agency dedicated to preventing and defusing racial and ethnic conflicts. For more information about the Community Relation Service, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, see its web site at: www.usdoj.gov/crs.

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