Community Relations Service

DARYL BORGQUIST
202/305-2935
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/CRS

      WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) Director Sharee M. Freeman will address the 30th Annual National Education and Training Conference of the National Black Police Association on August 22, 2002 in Los Angeles, California. The Conference, whose theme is "Black Police and the Community: Three Decades of Advocacy and Partnership," will be held from August 19 to 22, 2002, at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

      "African-American police officers hold the keys to breaking down barriers in neighborhoods shattered by crime, filled with apathy, and where police are sometimes not welcome. Through your service, communities can reap a harvest of hope," said CRS Director Sharee M. Freeman.

      "Through the service of African-American police officers, we can ensure that every American believes without a doubt that the police motto, ‘To Serve and to Protect,' is for them. The Community Relations Service will be your partner in this great work," Ms. Freeman also said.

      For more information about the Community Relations Service, a unique racial conflict resolution and prevention agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, or to obtain information on best practices on responding to police use of excessive force, hate crimes, and racial conflict, please see its web site at: www.usdoj.gov/crs.