U.S. Department of Justice
Community Relations Service
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U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service |
By
Responding to Conflicts
and Violence and
Building Local Capacities for Local Solutions
Annual Report FY 2000
Community Relations Service
The mission of the Community Relations Service (CRS) is to resolve conflicts and prevent violence when racial tensions threaten community peace and stability by assisting state and local officials, law enforcement officials, business leaders, and community residents. Through the application of established mediation practices, CRS mediators help affected parties work together on a voluntary basis to create locally defined and locally implemented resolutions. As a result, CRS builds the local capacity within communities to manage and resolve their own conflicts, and promotes racial harmony and mutual understanding among diverse groups in America's communities.
The Community Relations Service was established by Title X of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. CRS is the only Federal agency with jurisdiction over community conflicts that arise due to issues of race, color, or national origin.
To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled:
With this statement, I transmit a report on the activities of the Community Relations Service (CRS) of the U.S. Department of Justice for Fiscal Year 2000. This report is required by Section 100 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) and by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1966, as revised by 28 C.F.R. 0.30(b).
This report describes CRS's conflict resolution and violence prevention activities, so that Members of the Congress may assess its performance in executing its statutory mandate.
| Respectfully submitted, | |
| Sharee Freeman Director |
| Report to Congress | ||
| Director’s Foreward | ||
| Overview of CRS Services | ||
| Administration of Justice and Police-Community Relations | ||
| Hate Crimes | ||
| Protests and Special Events | ||
| Immigrant Communities | ||
| Schools and Colleges | ||
| Church Burnings | ||
| Prevention of Racial Conflict | ||
| Case Profiles | ||
| Excessive Use of Force | ||
| Fatal Police Shooting - Providence, Rhode Island | ||
| Police-Community Relations - Elian Gonzales and Cuban Americans Miami, Florida | ||
| Law Enforcement Executives Conference - St. Louis, Missouri | ||
| Major Protests and Special Events | ||
| 2000 DNC and RNC Protests - Los Angeles, California, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||
| Black Bikers Memorial Day Weekend - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | ||
| Columbus Day Parade - Denver, Colorado | ||
| Racial Profiling - National Football League's Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio | ||
| Management & Budget | ||
| Management Goals | ||
| Budget and Operations Requirements | ||
| Congressional Notification Requirements | ||
When governors, mayors, police chiefs, and school officials faced the challenges of racial discord and violence in FY 2000, the Community Relations Service (CRS) was there to help them find solutions which would bring peace, order, and justice to their communities.
States and local communities made over 5,000 requests for CRS services this year - - an overwhelming number for our force of just 37 mediators. Incredibly, CRS responded to more than 1,200 calls for assistance, involving issues as diverse as police-minority community conflicts, hate crimes on college campuses, discord over new immigrants and demographic changes, and civil disturbances.
Our work is a testament to the remarkable capacity and wisdom found in America's communities and CRS's role in finding local solutions to local problems. CRS's expert, impartial, and confidential service helps communities bridge the divide between peace and disorder, between consensus building and violent conflict. For over 35 years, CRS has demonstrated that through a cooperative and voluntary conflict resolution approach, communities can be successful in creating stability and peaceful relations.
CRS mediators are very special people. They are personally and professionally committed to community racial reconciliation. They devote countless hours on the streets as well as in formal mediations, on nights and on weekends. They place themselves at great physical risk and maintain optimism and hope when others doubt. They never give up. They have my greatest respect and admiration.
This report will familiarize you with just a slice of CRS's work with local communities. I believe it will help the public appreciate and understand more fully the value they bring to local communities across America. I am confident that taxpayers and the U.S. Government will appreciate the remarkable return on their modest investment in the work of the Community Relations Service. I encourage you to contact us directly to learn more about the full range of our services and how we may help you and your community.
| Sharee Freeman Director |
For the 1231 cases reported during FY 2000, CRS conducted major activities in all regions of the country. CRS conciliation and mediation services were requested by Federal, state, and local agencies and elected officials; U.S. Attorneys; police chiefs; and community leaders, who sought assistance to address racial tensions in their communities. CRS responded to tensions surrounding the administration of justice and excessive use of force, racial profiling, hate crimes, large protests and other public events, immigrant concerns, and conflict in schools, among other issues. In each case, CRS worked directly with affected parties to prevent violence, resolve conflict, and safeguard peace in local communities.
Administration of Justice and Police-Community Relations
Approximately half of CRS's casework in FY 2000 focused on racial conflict surrounding administration of justice and police-community relations issues. Significant cases of racial conflict between local police departments and minority communities, surrounding allegations of excessive use of force and racial profiling, were featured across the United States. Several high profile fatal police shootings raised community concerns over police use of force. Minority communities, supported by such national organizations as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Action Network (NAN), also raised the issues of disparate policing practices. CRS worked with police officials and local minority leaders in all regions to promote dialogue and plan cooperative efforts.
CRS had developed a national hate crimes response training curriculum, and in FY 2000, CRS conducted "train-the-trainers" sessions for police, prosecutors, and community leaders throughout the country. In some jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, CRS was asked to serve as an active member of both the Governor's Hate Crimes Task Force and the U.S. Attorney/State Attorney General Hate Crimes Working Group. CRS efforts focused on unifying communities by facilitating the development of cooperative mechanisms for local law enforcement agencies and community groups to prevent and respond to hate crimes.
CRS conciliators continued responding to major demonstrations and events that exacerbated community racial tension. Large annual gatherings involving college spring break and Memorial Day weekend events necessitated the deployment of special conciliation teams to conduct contingency planning with area officials, local police, and event organizers. CRS also responded to a number of protests and counter-protests, both large and small, held to draw attention to such issues as excessive use of force, racial profiling, and civil rights. CRS trained volunteer event marshals and provided on-site monitoring and conciliation of racial tensions. CRS efforts helped decrease racial tensions and ensured the peaceful occurrence of the demonstrations.
CRS assisted in resolving conflicts prompted by the arrival of new immigrants and changing demographic patterns. CRS worked with the INS when appropriate, as well as police, immigrant rights groups, and anti-immigrant organizations to reduce tensions. Of particular importance were concerns over U.S.-Mexico border crossings, the disparate treatment of recent immigrants by police and in schools, and language barriers between parties which often exacerbated tensions. As a trusted and neutral third party, CRS in most cases was able to intervene in conflicts, draw parties to the negotiation table, and facilitate agreements that reduced tensions and promoted cooperation.
CRS offered several programs and services to schools and colleges for managing multi-cultural conflicts. These included CRS conflict resolution services, assistance in developing peer mediation teams, the facilitation of school dialogues on race and related issues, cultural diversity awareness training for faculty and students, and the development of school-community partnership programs. Furthermore, in response to the increasing needs of schools and colleges, CRS developed the Student Problem Identification/Resolution (SPIR) program to engage students in addressing the racial tensions on their campuses.
CRS continued to provide conflict resolution and violence prevention assistance to local officials, law enforcement authorities, clergy and other leaders in communities experiencing church burnings across the country. CRS's close work with U.S. Attorneys, community leaders, and Federal, state, and local law enforcement facilitated the coordinated effort necessary for community reconciliation to occur. CRS will continue to dispatch conflict resolution and reconciliation experts directly to communities to promote multiracial cooperation in the construction of houses of worship, and to provide technical assistance in ways that bring together law enforcement agencies and minority neighborhoods.
CRS understands the importance of taking proactive steps toward the prevention of racial and ethnic conflict. Accordingly, when resources permit, CRS conducts conferences, workshops, and collaborative training projects with other government agencies, local police departments, and community leaders to address racial tension before it leads to violent conflict. In FY 2000, CRS worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Civil Rights Division, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Attorneys across the country, and other Federal agencies to organize conferences and programs for local elected and law enforcement officials. At the request of city officials and police chiefs, CRS conducted training on issues ranging from cultural diversity to hate crimes response to help equip local communities with the tools to defuse racial tension.
Fatal Police
Shooting
Providence, Rhode Island
Background
On January 27, 2000, an off-duty Black police officer, son of the highest ranking minority in the city police department, was shot and killed by two White police officers in Providence, Rhode Island. The incident occurred outside a local restaurant, where one of two women engaged in an altercation asked an Hispanic male friend to get his gun. The Black off-duty officer, who was apparently attempting to assist the policemen responding to the scene, was shot by White police officers under ambiguous circumstances.
Racial tensions between police and minority residents immediately escalated, as the Black community made allegations of police profiling and excessive use of force, and called for the dismissal of the White officers and their arrest for murder. Tensions were further exacerbated by deep concerns of the Hispanic community over the prosecution of the Hispanic man under a statute requiring that any person committing a crime during which a person is killed be held responsible for the death.
CRS Activities
CRS services were requested on January 28, 2000, by a state representative and the director of the Rhode Island Human Rights Commission. That day, CRS deployed personnel to attend a strategy meeting of about 50 community leaders, who had gathered to plan their response to the fatal shooting. CRS also participated in a meeting at the police department involving the police chief, the public safety commissioner, three city councilmen, and several departmental command staff. At both meetings, CRS emphasized the need for parties to reach out to officers in the department and youth in the Hispanic and Black communities to prevent potential confrontations in the week following the shooting. Mediators further emphasized the importance of working together to dispel rumors which could ignite further hostility between the police and the community. CRS also worked closely with the U.S. Attorney and the state attorney general, city councilors and state representatives, the Rhode Island senators' and governor's offices, national organizations such as the NAACP and the Urban League, and local clergy to develop plans to decrease racial tensions in Providence.
CRS Impact
CRS services were instrumental in facilitating communications between the principal parties and helping them prevent further civil disorder in the community. As a trusted and impartial mediator, CRS was well-positioned to help the police and minority communities understand each other's concerns and priorities. Having worked with a number of different parties, CRS was able to help the community develop concrete programs to rebuild positive relations between law enforcement and the minority communities. CRS assisted the Rhode Island Leadership Program, an organization of community leaders, in holding community dialogues on race in Providence. CRS mediators also provided technical assistance to the Governor's Commission on Police-Community Relations on issues of excessive use of force and police training, and to the Rhode Island State Legislature regarding racial profiling.
Elian Gonzales and Cuban Americans
Miami, Florida
Background
In November 1999, five-year-old Elian Gonzales was rescued at sea after his boat sank towards the end of its journey from Cuba. A national controversy erupted over whether he should be returned to his father in Cuba or be allowed to remain with his relatives in Miami, Florida. Racial tension between Federal and local law enforcement agencies and the Cuban exile community in Miami escalated sharply, as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) ordered the boy's relatives to return him to his father. The Cuban community conducted demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience, vowing to adopt extreme measures to maintain custody of the child. The potential for violence remained high from the boy's rescue at sea in November, to his return to Cuba in April 2000, and in the weeks following his return.
CRS Activities
CRS was asked by the INS International Affairs Division in November 1999 to facilitate communication between INS officials and community leaders and to help prevent violence in the area. CRS provided the INS and the U.S. Attorney's office with continuous assessments of racial tension in Miami and of the Cuban community's reactions to INS positions. A multi-regional CRS team with Spanish-speaking skills gained entry into the Cuban community and met regularly with leaders to understand their concerns and planned course of action to assure peaceful protests.
In January, when the INS issued a 10-day deadline for the relatives to turn the boy over to immigration officials, the Cuban community reacted with organized defiance, as demonstrations began almost immediately. CRS met with the Cuban leadership to encourage calm and discussed plans for the maintenance of peace during the protests. CRS provided technical assistance in contingency planning to command staff and intelligence units of the Miami police and further facilitated meetings between Cuban leaders and INS officials. CRS was on-site at several demonstrations in the area, facilitating communication between police and protesters and preventing incidents of violence. Cuban leaders also threatened to demonstrate at the Miami airport, but CRS worked with both local law enforcement and community leaders to avert the disruption.
On and after April 22, 2000, when the INS removed Elian Gonzales from Miami, CRS monitored community reaction and worked with police and community leaders to ensure against major incidents of violence. CRS worked with the Department of Justice's leadership, local law enforcement, and Cuban protesters to preserve peace and order at a number of demonstrations around the country.
CRS Impact
CRS was essential to the maintenance of communication among INS and other Federal officials, local police officers, and leaders of the Cuban community. In the months prior to the April 22 INS action, CRS was responsible for the prevention of large-scale violence, working both in the streets and at the mediation table to contain racial tension. In the weeks after the action, CRS focused its efforts on community reconciliation activities, helping to ease tensions between police and local residents. CRS also played a major role in ensuring the many demonstrations and counter-demonstrations held were peaceful and incident-free. CRS continues to work with local parties to unify the racially and ethnically divided sections of the city.
Law Enforcement Executives Conference
St. Louis, Missouri
Background
From August 30 to September 1, 2000, in St. Louis, Missouri, CRS cosponsored with the St. Louis police department the 11th Annual Law Enforcement Executives Conference, drawing 110 police executives from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Tennessee. This conference, like the previous ten cosponsored by CRS, was conducted to educate the participants on methods and techniques to reduce police-community violence, address sensitive issues that lead to internal and external conflict, and prepare police departments and the communities they serve to form partnerships to resolve crime and conflict.
CRS Activities
For five months before the conference, CRS worked closely with the St. Louis police department and other members of the conference planning committee, which consisted of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. With the help of its law enforcement partners, CRS was able to design a conference focusing on a number of issues relevant to police-community relations.
The keynote address focused on racial profiling. The conference also featured workshops and speakers on such topics as excessive use of force, crowd management, extremist activities, school violence, and equal employment opportunity. Speakers and workshop leaders included the Assistant U.S. Attorney, FBI officials, the mayor of St. Louis, officers from the Missouri highway patrol, and several area police chiefs. Other key participants included representatives from the Police Foundation, the Federal Protective Service, and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office.
CRS Impact
CRS recognizes that this type of conference can go a long way in helping police departments prevent racial tension in their communities. Participating in this forum is one of the many preventative measures CRS and law enforcement forces can take together to avoid unnecessary racial strife on the local level. The police executives who attended the conference found the speakers and workshops engaging and educational. A number of police chiefs remarked the conference enhanced their understanding of the key issues facing police departments and the communities they serve. The conference also helped to strengthen CRS's relationships with law enforcement officials from around the region.
Major Protests and Special Events
2000 DNC
and RNC Protests
Los Angeles, California, and
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Background
The national political conventions during presidential election years have frequently been the focus of demonstrations, protests, and acts of civil disobedience by many groups, including minority organizations. Several minority organizations announced their intentions to demonstrate well in advance of the 2000 Democratic National Convention (DNC) and Republican National Convention (RNC), which were held August 14 to 17, and July 31 to August 3, respectively. Tens of thousands of demonstrators were expected to hold multiple rallies and marches at venues throughout Los Angeles, California, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in addition to the official demonstration sites.
CRS Activities
Four months before the political conventions, the CRS Mid-Atlantic and Western regional offices began participating in multi-agency planning meetings with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Special Events Division of the FBI, local officials, and the local police departments in Los Angeles for the DNC and in Philadelphia for the RNC. During the conventions, CRS was represented at the Multi-Agency Communication Centers (MACC) and established strong working relationships with law enforcement, human relations agencies, and protest leaders. CRS positioned itself as the first point of contact for conflict situations.
In Los Angeles, CRS deployed a multi-regional team of 15 mediators to respond to potential racial conflicts arising during protests held by the Mobilization to Protest the Democratic National Convention (DNC), the umbrella group under which over 200 activist groups had united. CRS trained self-marshals for a number of protests and also trained over 25 ministers to be "faith observers" on the streets during the DNC, setting a tone of respect for diverse points of view and peaceful protest. CRS defused tensions and facilitated communication between police and protesters during several protests, including an early march against the lack of Latino involvement in the Democratic party; a 3,000 person march in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal; an 8,000 to 10,000 person rally to highlight the nationwide disparities in housing, health care, and education; and major protests against racial profiling and excessive use of force. CRS managed to reduce most tensions before they erupted into violence, often forming barriers to act as a buffer and decrease tension between protesters and police.
In Philadelphia, CRS deployed a multi-regional mediation team to help prevent violence and resolve racial conflicts that arose during the week of the RNC. CRS conducted continual monitoring of the city's racial climate over the week and played a critical role in preventing violence in jurisdictional demonstrations, including those focusing on anti-immigrant issues, the war on drugs and its effect on minorities, police use of force, the Navy bombing exercises in Puerto Rico, and the death sentence of Black radio journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. CRS provided contingency planning to local police, and self-marshals training to protest groups to ensure against major incidents during the demonstrations.
CRS Impact
CRS services in planning and providing on-site conflict resolution and violence prevention services helped ensure against major disruptions at both national conventions. Early communication between CRS, police, and demonstration leaders to discuss and negotiate demonstration sites and march routes was essential for establishing good relationships between law enforcement agencies and minority organizations. CRS's presence in the MACC facilitated the flow of information between police and demonstrators, as CRS often had the only accurate on-site information and contact between the parties. On several occasions this prevented potentially disruptive police and demonstrator actions which could have led to injuries. CRS mediation efforts, especially in Los Angeles, were also integral to the avoidance of the large scale property damage featured in the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle.
Major Protests and Special Events
Black Bikers
Memorial Day Weekend
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Background
For the past 22 years, the Grand Strand in South Carolina (an area of five municipalities bordering the Atlantic Ocean) has been the site of a Memorial Day weekend celebration by Black motorcycle riders from around the country, an event which attracts over 100,000 people. When the major part of the festivities moved from Atlantic Beach to Myrtle Beach, a majority White area, tensions increased between local residents and event-goers. Racial conflict between local police and event participants became pronounced, as participants made allegations of racial profiling and excessive use of force. At the recommendation of the South Carolina Governor's office, the mayor of Myrtle Beach requested CRS's assistance in 1999. CRS continues to work with city officials and local law enforcement. CRS and was invited to provide conciliation services again in 2000.
CRS Activities
Weeks before the event, CRS worked with city officials, police, and event organizers on contingency planning and the training of volunteers, coordinators, team leaders, and local law enforcement. CRS trained 600-700 state and local law enforcement officers in community relations and conflict prevention strategies for the event. CRS helped the city manager and chief of police create an operational policy to ensure police forces from supporting jurisdictions adhered to the established law enforcement approach. CRS also created "friendship teams," consisting of local volunteers to act as welcoming ambassadors to the Black bikers, and trained a "God squad" of religious leaders to help encourage an environment of peace, respect, and tolerance during the event.
CRS deployed a multi-regional team from May 25 to May 30, 2000, providing ongoing assessments of racial tensions to local officials charged with maintaining order during the festivities. CRS mediators also formed a "rapid response" conflict prevention and resolution force to address tensions among participants, law enforcement officers, and business owners. CRS intervened in confrontations between police and event-goers, providing street conflict resolution and mediation services throughout the event to help avert potential violence.
CRS Impact
CRS efforts helped ensure against major disruptions and racial conflicts during the festivities. There were fewer confrontations between police and participants than last year. Through its training activities and on-site conciliation services, CRS facilitated communication and improved relations among city officials, local police, event participants, and area residents, promoting a cooperative effort to ensure the safety of all involved. CRS also improved the capacity of local agencies to address racial conflicts without third party assistance.
Major Protests and Special Events
Columbus
Day Parade
Denver, Colorado
Background
In the summer of 2000, the city of Denver, Colorado, for the first time in eight years granted a permit to a local Italian American group, the Sons of Italy, to hold a Columbus Day/Italian American pride parade on October 7, 2000. Local American Indian Movement (AIM) leadership was concerned about the march and planned a counter-demonstration. Native American residents sought to eliminate all references to Columbus from the parade or to stop the parade altogether. Previous Denver Columbus Day parades had erupted in violence between the Italian American and Native American communities, requiring CRS intervention. For 2000, the plans for the parade once again led to intensely escalated racial tensions between the two communities, increasing the potential for violent conflict.
CRS Activities
CRS was notified of the rising tension in Denver by the Colorado Civil Rights Division in August 2000. Conciliators went on-site to meet separately with the principal parties, including local police, city officials from the Denver Department of Public Safety and Commission on Indian Affairs, leaders from both the Sons of Italy and AIM, and other representatives from the Italian American and Native American communities. CRS conducted shuttle diplomacy, working with both communities and relaying information between them, in an effort to open the lines of communication. CRS overcame the distrust of the parties and convinced them to commit to a mediation session.
On September 19, after several sessions, including a difficult seven-and-a-half hour mediation session, with both parties at several points threatening to abandon negotiations, CRS finally facilitated an agreement providing for a peaceful parade, free from references to Columbus and unchallenged by counter-protests. As the parade date approached, however, the agreement broke down. Faced with the reality that a "Christopher Columbus Day Parade" would be held and countered with aggressive protests by the Native American community, CRS worked with all parties to ensure a safe, peaceful parade and protest. CRS provided contingency planning to local police for the event and made recommendations regarding arrests. CRS also provided marshal training to the parade organizers and served as a liaison between parade marchers and protesters on October 7, 2000.
CRS Impact
The parade was the largest ever for Columbus Day, with over one thousand participants, while over 3,000 people convened for the protest action. Despite the high level of hostility between the parties, CRS ensured the parade and protest occurred without major incidents. CRS established contact with all parties on-site during the event, negotiated a symbolic arrest involving 147 protesters, and averted violence by repositioning protesters at several points during the event. The process for the non-violent protest and the subsequent arrests were negotiated before the event, and the early release of those arrested relieved tension and led to the peaceful dispersal of the protesters. CRS efforts resulted in the maintenance of peace and order during the event. CRS is continuing its work in FY 2001 to improve relations between the two communities and avoid future confrontations over the parade.
National Football League's Hall of
Fame
Canton, Ohio
Background
In May 2000, CRS was alerted that a national civil rights group, the National Action Network (NAN), was planning a demonstration on July 29, 2000, designed to coincide with the National Football League's Hall of Fame festivities in Canton, Ohio. NAN aimed to draw attention to alleged police racial profiling practices and racially motivated hiring practices by city officials. The White supremacist group, Aryan Nation, planned a counter-demonstration. The threat of mass demonstrations, arrests, and violence escalated community racial tension.
CRS Activities
On May 4, 2000, CRS met with Canton's mayor, police chief, director of safety, and community leaders to offer its conciliation services and was requested to intervene in the dispute between city officials and NAN protest organizers. CRS held a series of meetings, one lasting over six hours, with elected officials, police representatives, NAN leaders, and spokesmen from the local Black community to promote dialogue on racial profiling and the alleged disparate treatment of Blacks. CRS conducted a final mediation session on June 22, which resulted in the signing of a 16-point memorandum of understanding by representatives of the city, the police department, NAN, and the Black community.
CRS Impact
Mediated by CRS, the signed agreement included a close review of police practices that may result in profiling, a review of city and police internal affairs and promotional policies, the adoption of an early warning system for troubled officers, the establishment of a model neighborhood project, and the development of community investment programs. As a result of CRS conciliation and mediation services, the planned demonstration was canceled and the potential conflict and violence between protesters and counter-protesters averted. Furthermore, CRS helped improve communication and collaboration among the parties, and strengthened relations between police and city officials, and members of the minority community.
During FY 2000, CRS has demonstrated how much a federal agency can do with a modest budget and only 37 mediators around the country. Strong management and budgetary controls stretched CRS's operations budget. The Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) continued to provide valuable administrative support on budget, personnel, and fiscal matters; CRS required this support because it used its limited resources to provide mediators for conflict resolution in its field operations. However, with EOUSA services about to be discontinued, CRS began to strengthen its own management and administrative systems and refocused its efforts to ensure organizational accountability and integrity. Significant management accomplishments included:
Budget and Operations Requirements
For FY 2000, CRS operated its conflict resolution and violence prevention program with an appropriation of $7,199,000. This appropriation level funded 50 staff to carry out the congressionally mandated mission of the agency.
CRS responded to the most urgent and potentially violent situations to protect the immediate community concerns of public safety. Addressing the most explosive cases, CRS was forced to triage, deferring requests from local police chiefs, mayors, and other leaders from communities experiencing less volatile situations. In the first quarter of FY 2000, 285 "alerts" (documentation of a potentially jurisdictional conflict or violence) were filed by CRS. Fifty-five percent of the alerts were assessed (analyzed to determine whether and how CRS should be involved) within 15 days, and 62 percent of those within 10 days. CRS worked hard to meet its established Customer Service Standard, which states that "CRS will be prepared to respond to major racial and ethnic crisis situations within 24 hours from the time when your community notifies CRS or CRS becomes aware of the crisis." Despite its resource constraints, CRS completed the year with a solid record of successes and significant accomplishments.
Congressional Notification Requirements
The Commerce, Justice, State Conference Report for FY 1999 Appropriations included congressional notification requirements for CRS. The report stated, in part: "Close coordination between the Administration and Congress could help stabilize racially motivated local incidents. As the people's body, Congress must be kept informed when the Administration responds to a domestic crisis. Therefore, the Attorney General is directed to notify the relevant committees whenever requests by local officials prompt the deployment of CRS personnel to mediate civil conflict."
During FY 2000, whenever CRS mediators conducted violence reduction and conflict resolution activities, CRS notified the two U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative of the affected state and district, respectively. CRS continues to meet this ongoing notification requirement.
1 Regional Director
2 Conciliation Specialists
NEW ENGLAND
Servicing CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT
At the request of a minority state representative and the director of the Rhode Island Human Rights Commission, CRS responded to the fatal police shooting of an off-duty Black police officer in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 28, 2000. The Black police officer, son of the highest ranking minority officer in the department, had been attempting to break up a fight between two citizens when he was shot by his colleagues, two White police officers who had responded to the call. CRS was on-site the day of the incident and extensively throughout the following weeks and months, providing conciliation assistance to the U.S. Attorney, state and local officials, police, and community leaders. CRS services were instrumental in helping the parties prevent civil disorder in the community and rebuild positive relations between the police department and the minority communities. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
In the aftermath of the shooting death of Aquan Salmon, a 14-year-old Black youth, by a Hartford police officer on April 13, 1999, CRS provided continuous conciliation assistance to the city. A significant flashpoint was the February 16, 2000, announcement by the Connecticut State Attorney that cleared the Hartford police officer in the shooting. CRS was on-site before and after the announcement providing conciliation assistance and ensuring there were no major disruptions. CRS assistance also included convening meetings between police and community leaders, participating in a number of community meetings throughout the city to ease tensions, participating in contingency planning, and developing strategies to improve police-community relations in Hartford.
In February 2000, CRS convened a meeting of the police chiefs of major New England cities in Springfield, Massachusetts, for a day-long workshop and facilitated a discussion based on the new CRS publication, Police Use of Excessive Force: A Conciliation Handbook for the Police and the Community. Major presenters and speakers on excessive use of force and corrective measures included DOJ officials, the Boston police commissioner, and the president of both the Springfield chapter and the New England branch of the NAACP.
In May 2000, the Laconia, New Hampshire, police chief requested CRS conciliation assistance, as the town was undergoing significant and rapid demographic changes. Several racial incidents had alerted the chief of the need to avert further racial and ethnic problems in Laconia. CRS met with the police chief and city council to discuss various proactive efforts that might be adopted. CRS helped the city establish a 16-member civil rights committee to develop, with CRS assistance, a police training program and to conduct a community-wide dialogue on race.
At the request of the city manager, CRS provided cultural diversity training for elected and appointed officials in Reading, Massachusetts, in October 1999. Following the completion of a similar CRS training for the local police department, the city sought to sensitize municipal employees to issues of race and racial profiling. CRS conducted extensive training and facilitated open dialogues on race, racism, and community perceptions of city actions. CRS helped the city develop and implement short- and long-term plans to eliminate bias in government services.
In May 2000, CRS responded to allegations of racial profiling in Eastham, Massachusetts, after a Black reporter was detained and searched by police. At the request of NAACP leaders, CRS convened a mediation session among the principal parties involved, including town and state officials, police, Black leaders, and the reporter. CRS services resulted in the amelioration of racial tension and the improvement of communication among the parties. All parties agreed racial profiling was unacceptable and passed resolutions to hold a public forum on the issue and to collect data on police stops. CRS has worked with town officials and police to ensure follow-up on these plans
On October 20,1999, CRS and the Lowell, Massachusetts, police department sponsored a one-day symposium for police chiefs from the major New England cities on racial profiling. The interactive symposium featured presentations by federal, state and local law enforcement officials regarding model programs, record keeping, and local initiatives such as developed in San Diego, California, Brookline, Massachusetts, and Trumbull, Connecticut. One of the results of the symposium was the development of recommended steps for police leadership to address racial profiling including: training; development of police department values; new measures for officer selection, discipline and removal; management leadership; and proper reporting.
After taking a prominent role in developing a national hate crimes training curriculum for police, CRS conducted training sessions, as well as train-the-trainers programs, for local police departments, prosecutors, and community leaders across New England in FY 2000.
On November 29-30, 1999, CRS joined the Massachusetts Hate Crimes Training Team, which had been trained by the Department of Justice, in Orlando, Florida, to conduct a "train-the-trainers" program for approximately 50 law enforcement officials from the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Training Council and their statewide training sites staff, and District Attorneys' offices. The Massachusetts Governor's Hate Crimes Task Force cosponsored the training program. In addition to CRS staff, the trainers included personnel from the U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, the State Attorney General's office, the Boston police department, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. A number of those trained have now participated as trainers in conducting hate crimes training. A similar "train-the-trainers" program was conducted in Rhode Island the previous year by CRS staff.
On December 6, 1999, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney, the State Attorney General, and the New Hampshire Training Academy, CRS conducted a hate crimes training program for state, county, and local law enforcement personnel throughout New Hampshire. More than 100 officers received the eight-hour training program which utilized the national hate crimes training curriculum. CRS also conducted a one-day training in Durham on hate crimes for New Hampshire police chiefs on June 23, 2000.
Similarly, on June 28, 2000, CRS conducted a hate crimes training for Vermont police chiefs and managers in Burlington, Vermont, at the request of the Burlington chief of police. Participating with CRS in this training were the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Attorney, and a trainer from the Boston police department.
On September 20, 2000, CRS cosponsored a civil rights summit with the Greater Boston Civil Rights Coalition. The summit brought together organizations in the public and private sectors in Greater Boston to explore critical civil rights and race relations issues and to develop a one-year plan to foster harmonious race and ethnic relations. More than 50 groups and organizations participated in the summit. A CRS conciliator served as one of the moderators of the event.
In February 2000, CRS was asked by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to help defuse racial tensions among minority students, campus police, and local police from the town of Dartmouth. After meeting separately with each party, CRS convened several mediation sessions with police, university officials, faculty, and students. CRS helped parties to discuss openly the sources of the tensions, to understand each other better, and to develop peaceful communication among the parties.
At the request of the superintendent of schools and the principal of Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, in November 1999, CRS responded to escalated tensions caused by gang activity among Asian and Latino youths and allegations of racial discrimination within the school system. CRS conducted a two-day Student Problem Identification/Resolution (SPIR) Program for students and a one-day program for staff. Working with administrators, faculty, parents, and students, CRS helped the parties develop a plan to resolve their conflicts, reduce violence, and restore an environment conducive to learning in the school.
On April 10-11, 2000, CRS cosponsored the 15th Annual New England Conference on "Safe Schools, Safe Communities II: Preventing Youth Violence" in conjunction with the New England Community Institute in Newport, Rhode Island. At the request of the institute and school and police leaders, CRS conducted three workshops on hate crimes in schools. Approximately 200 educators, police, and municipal officials from New England cities participated in the conference. Other workshops addressed police-school partnerships, emergency planning, and early childhood intervention.
In March 2000, CRS was requested by a community organization to intervene in a situation of escalating tension in West Springfield, Massachusetts, regarding charges that Russian immigrants and their children were the victims of discrimination. The Russian community alleged some students were harassing the immigrant children in school and that the school administration was failing to comply with the Massachusetts Transitional Bilingual Education Law. CRS met with both the Russian families, who were at first wary of government involvement, and school administrators to discuss the mediation process. In April 2000, CRS convened a meeting of school officials and leaders of the Russian community, which resulted in an agreement to adopt corrective measures and establish a local intervention process to respond to future incidents.
Police-minority community relations continues to be the most serious issue affecting the New England region. Several conferences are planned to bring police chiefs, union leaders, and minority community leaders together to discuss racial profiling and excessive use of force. CRS will conduct hate crimes training for police officers in Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as in Boston suburbs. CRS will also partner with the Offices of Civil Rights of the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services in sponsoring a regional immigrant rights conference.
In order to address racial conflict in higher education, CRS will partner with the U.S. Department of Education and the International Association of Campus Security Officers to cosponsor a regional conference to improve race relations on college and university campuses. Race relations and cultural diversity training is planned for Nashua, New Hampshire; Shelton, Connecticut; and Wellfleet, Hopkinton, and Chelsea, Massachusetts.
1 Regional Director
3 Conciliation Specialists
NORTHEAST
Servicing NJ, NY, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
In March 2000, CRS was on-site at several large scale demonstrations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York, held in response to allegations of numerous instances of police excessive use of force, as well as persistent claims of harassment of minorities by the New York City police department. Tensions between police and citizens in the Haitian, African, Black, and Latino communities had escalated sharply as a result of the fatal shooting of a Black youth by a White police officer on March 17, 2000. Tensions were already high due to the Abner Louima police excessive use of force case and the Amadou Diallo fatal police shooting. To defuse the situation and ensure protesters engaged in peaceful activities, CRS facilitated meetings between the protest organizers and the police regarding protest locations, arrest and processing procedures for planned civil disobedience, and flexible restraint by law enforcement personnel. As a result of CRS technical assistance and mediation services, the protests were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner, and no major confrontations between police and protesters occurred.
Much of the work covered by the Northeast Region involves the facilitation of peaceful protest when groups gather for marches or rallies. CRS's role in ensuring peace is perhaps best demonstrated by the work done in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in March 2000, concerning the arrest of the Reverend Al Sharpton and others for acts of civil disobedience. Community tensions had been heightened by a series of police-community confrontations, including allegations of excessive use of force and racial profiling by city, county, and the state law enforcement officials. Minority citizens drew attention to these issues by blocking access to the major highways. CRS deployed conciliators to bring together local officials, police, and civil rights leaders in an effort to explore ways to avoid threatened and escalating protest actions. CRS provided technical assistance to city police, expediting the peaceful processing of arrests for planned civil disobedience, and the rapid defusion of tension. Further, CRS also facilitated meetings among the parties to determine and clarify immediate next steps and future action plans, thereby averting further disruption and civil unrest.
At the request of officials from Suffolk County, New York, CRS responded in June 2000 to racial tensions between Central American immigrants and the mostly White residents of the suburbs. Tensions had escalated after the unsolved stabbing murder of a Salvadoran worker, which city officials worried was connected to the area's prevailing anti-immigrant sentiment. CRS met with the deputy county executive, the county police, local immigration advocates, county residents, and Latino community leaders to develop a coordinated effort to address the community racial conflicts. CRS will continue to work in FY 2001 with all parties to improve communication among the affected parties in the community, and to develop a viable mediation plan to which all can agree.
At the request of a local Latino advocacy group, CRS responded to escalated racial tensions in the local high school in Glen Cove, New York, in September 2000. The advocacy group sought CRS services to help address the rise in gang-related, interracial violence at the school. CRS met with school officials, teachers, and community leaders to help the parties design a plan to improve race relations at the school. CRS further assisted the parties in reaching out to elected officials and in drawing gang leaders themselves into the dialogue to become part of the resolution process.
Racial profiling, police-minority community relations, and the results of demographic changes remain the most significant issues affecting the Northeast Region. CRS plans several racial profiling initiatives: CRS will partner with the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police for a train-the-trainers program to be offered to 450 local police departments; CRS will work with the New Jersey Association of County Prosecutors, the Association of Mayors, and the League of Municipal Officials to address demographic changes and police-minority community relations; and CRS will work in western New York State with local, county, state, and federal officials, including the U.S. Attorney, the Buffalo citizens commission, and local clergy to respond to growing mistrust between law enforcement agencies and minority communities.
CRS will also strengthen working relationships with state and federal officials and protest groups to improve responses to future protest actions, such as those regarding the Navy bombing training on Vieques, Puerto Rico. CRS plans programmatic thrusts to reduce community tension surrounding ethnic conflict, native islander-tourist issues, gang activity, and collaborative youth initiatives in the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as in Puerto Rico.
To improve the response capabilities of law enforcement agencies, schools and communities, CRS will convene region-wide workshops using agency materials, such as the publication What to Do When Violence Occurs. CRS will also host a series of meetings with the Jade Society of the New York police department in an effort to improve local police response to the concerns of the city's Asian community. Furthermore, CRS will promote the use of problem solving workshops in communities impacted by recent influxes of undocumented immigrants.
1 Regional Director
2 Conciliation Specialists
MID-ATLANTIC
Servicing DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV
CRS provided on-site assistance and conciliation services on July 23, 2000, at two separate rallies involving the highly publicized, videotaped beating and arrest of a 30-year-old Black man by White police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. About 500 people participated in a pro-police rally in the afternoon, while over 1,000 attended the evening rally against the police use of force incident. CRS worked with police, representatives of the Black community, and protest leaders to ensure peace and order during the rallies and to avoid confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters.
On September 7-9, 2000, at the prompting of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), CRS provided conciliation assistance to city officials, the local police department, and the Black community in Norfolk, Virginia, on issues arising from a police traffic stop death of a Black motorist. CRS participated and facilitated community forums and roundtable discussions, resulting in the formation of a core working group of diverse community leaders to address the racial tension in Norfolk. With CRS's assistance, the group worked with city leaders and police to develop strategies to eliminate racial profiling and disparate treatment by police. The working group continues to meet regularly with city and police officials.
On October 14, 1999, at the request of the Civil Rights Division (CRT) of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for Maryland, CRS convened a meeting of federal, state, and local officials to address the escalation of racial tension in Prince George's County, Maryland, following a cross burning at Bowie High School. Parties included the county school superintendent and senior staff, county police, the Prince George's County Human Relations Commission (HRC), the FBI, CRT, and the U.S. Attorney's office. CRS worked with the parties to assess the short- and long-term effects of the cross burning on school activities. CRS mediators helped school officials and the HRC to develop long-term plans to improve race relations in the school and community. As a result, Prince George's County implemented an improved policy for identifying, reporting, and responding to hate incidents in local schools. CRS provided peer mediation and diversity curricula, which were adopted for both student and staff participation. CRS initiated community race dialogues which continue today with the formation of 26 community study circles supported through the local HRC.
Region III continues to be the epicenter for large civil rights demonstrations. Reflecting the nation's minority concerns, major demonstrations took place in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland, during FY 2000.
High-profile protests included rallies during the Elian Gonzales repatriation efforts in April and the Martin Luther King Redeem the Dream March in May, both of which drew large numbers of participants to the Nation's Capital. CRS provided organizers with marshaling training and on-site conciliation efforts to reduce tensions with police and counter-protest groups. CRS also provided technical assistance and conciliation services for the large-scale protests at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July and August 2000. [Please see Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.] In October, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan organized the Million Family March which drew hundreds of thousands of Black, Hispanic, and Asian family members to the National Mall. Due to experience gained from providing conflict resolution and violence prevention services at the group's previous Million Man March in Washington, DC, CRS was requested by local officials to provide technical assistance to local police for this event. CRS was instrumental in the pre-planning process, working closely with law enforcement and public support services to ensure adequate resources were available for such a large gathering.
At the request of the local branch of the NAACP, CRS deployed personnel in July 2000 to Baltimore, Maryland, to address racial tensions between the community and a White pro-Confederate flag group from Mississippi, which held a demonstration at the NAACP national convention. Although tensions were high as national representatives and local residents confronted the pro-Confederate flag group, CRS provided technical assistance to local law enforcement to ensure both parties conducted their respective events without major conflicts.
CRS will focus on continuing to build partnerships with local officials and police departments; improving the response capabilities of law enforcement, schools, and communities; building local dispute resolution capacities of communities, institutions, and agencies; and emphasizing CRS's experience in conflict prevention to city officials and police. CRS will continue to provide technical assistance and training to communities experiencing racial, tribal, or ethnic tensions.
1 Regional Director
4 Conciliation Specialists
SOUTHEAST
Servicing AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
In FY 2000, CRS services most significantly impacted community relations in excessive use of force cases in Miami and Pensacola, Florida.
At the request of the community group People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality (PULSE) and the local branch of the NAACP, CRS deployed personnel to respond to escalated tensions between Metro-Dade police and Blacks in Miami in early September 2000. Racial tension was heightened by allegations of excessive use of force after a 19-year-old man was beaten by White police officers following a high speed vehicle chase on September 13. CRS facilitated a meeting among local police officials, the U.S. Attorney, FBI representatives, and local community members to discuss the allegations. CRS helped mitigate racial tension by improving communication among the parties. CRS will continue to provide conciliation services to police and community members.
In June 2000, in response to the National Action Network's (NAN) request for assistance, CRS convened a series of meetings between police and community leaders to discuss allegations of police use of force by the Escambia County sheriff's office in Pensacola, Florida. Racial tensions intensified after the fatal shooting of a man by a White police officer in October 1999, the most recent of several fatal police shootings of Black men over the past four years, and were further exacerbated when NAN threatened widespread protests at Pensacola beaches on the Fourth of July. CRS facilitated meetings among FBI representatives, police officials, and leaders of the community to discuss the allegations. As a result of CRS's mediation efforts, police-community relations improved, community concerns were addressed, and the scheduled demonstrations were canceled. Moreover, the county sheriff agreed to community relations training for his officers, and CRS worked with the Citizens Law Enforcement Liaison Committee to improve the sheriff's department's complaint process to give citizens more confidence in law enforcement.
In FY 2000, the Elian Gonzales immigration case superceded all other activity in the region, as many in the Cuban American community conducted sympathy demonstrations in Little Havana and throughout Miami in support of the naturalized American relatives of the six-year-old. CRS worked with law enforcement officers and Cuban American leaders to maintain peace in the community, provide rumor control mechanisms, prevent major disruptions in Miami, and facilitate communication between the boy's relatives in Miami and the Justice Department. As a result of CRS's efforts, potential disruptions and racial tensions in and around Miami were averted. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
In mid-January 2000, CRS responded to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's request for assistance in managing demonstrations supporting and opposing the flying of the Confederate flag at the State Capitol in Columbia, South Carolina. CRS mediators worked with police and rally organizers to ensure the pro-Confederate flag demonstration was free of racial confrontations. CRS also provided technical assistance and mediation services to local law enforcement and march organizers during the NAACP's protest against the flag and helped defuse five potentially explosive situations involving pro-flag counter-demonstrators. The march, which involved over 70,000 participants, was successfully completed with no instances of violent outbreaks.
This region provided the national leadership for the development of the new CRS publication, Managing Major Public Events: A Planning Guide for Municipal Officials, Law Enforcement, Community Leaders, Organizers, and Promoters. CRS provided major event contingency planning, on-site conflict resolution and violence prevention services, and monitoring of events in a number of cases, including in the Black bikers event in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Memorial Day weekend. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
Black College Student Spring Break Events
The southeast region includes more sites for annual Black college student activities than any other region in the country. One major case involved the April shooting death of a Black motorist by police during Black College Spring Break 2000 in Jackson, Mississippi. At the request of the District Attorney, CRS sent conciliators on-site to address the community racial tensions and to meet with police officials and leaders of the Black community. CRS convened meetings to facilitate communication between the parties and address issues surrounding the shooting. CRS also provided contingency planning information to the District Attorney and to local law enforcement to address their concerns about routing traffic and reducing instances of police/minority community conflicts during major special events.
In January 2000, CRS was requested by Congress to work with the INS and to respond to escalated racial tensions in Miami, Florida, following the running aground of a freighter carrying over 400 Haitians fleeing their country. The INS's decision to return the immigrants to Haiti without interviewing them resulted in escalated racial tension, as the NAACP accused the INS of discriminatory treatment of Haitian immigrants, as compared with Cuban immigrants. CRS worked with the mayor and other city officials, the district director of the INS, leaders of the NAACP, and representatives from the immigrant communities and mediated an agreement between the INS and local community members. Under the agreement, the INS Office of Humanitarian Affairs agreed to establish a crisis response task force to serve as a point of contact and communications resource vehicle to the community during times of crisis. CRS continues to work with the parties to further reduce racial tensions in Miami.
A regional workshop on hate crimes will be administered to campus law enforcement officials from eight southeastern states. A regional conference for elected officials will be also be held to provide information on CRS's mission and work, increasing awareness of CRS among federal and state legislators. In addition, CRS mediators will provide training in cultural diversity and conflict resolution to U.S. Customs agents. CRS will also hold a conference directed at providing new immigrants with information on "fitting into" communities and avoiding incidents that cause racial conflict.
1 Regional Director
3 Conciliation Specialists
MIDWEST
Servicing IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
On September 14, 2000, CRS convened a series of meetings with police and city officials in Detroit, Michigan, to discuss growing community racial tensions resulting from the occurrence of two fatal police shootings of Black men within one week. The circumstances of the shootings surfaced perceptions in segments of the Black community that the Detroit police engaged in excessive use of force. CRS met with and provided technical assistance to the U.S. Attorney, the chief of police, and the Board of Police Commissioners. CRS also met with the Mayor's Executive for Public Safety and offered mediation as an approach to help support implementation of recommendations suggested by the city's citizens committee on responsible policing.
On September 20, 2000, CRS mediated community racial tensions following police actions during Mexican Independence Day Festivities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during which police made nine arrests and issued 191 citations. Hispanic leaders, led by the Federation for Civic Action, requested CRS's assistance to facilitate communications with city and law enforcement officials over allegations of excessive use of force and inadequate complaint procedures. CRS facilitated discussions with the city's police chief, Police and Fire Commission officials, and leaders of the Hispanic community to review police policies and practices, contingency planning, and grievance procedures. As a result of CRS services, the relationship between law enforcement agencies and minority communities improved, and parties began taking steps toward ensuring celebrations free of police-community confrontations in the future.
In September 2000, at the request of the local citizens group People United for Responsible Policing (PUFRP), CRS provided additional conciliation efforts to police and minorities in South Bend, Indiana, where CRS had been active for the past two years. The community sought CRS assistance in the development of new policies to improve relations between police and community residents. CRS facilitated the development and implementation of a number of proactive measures to build local capacities, including diversity training for police officers and city employees, and the placement of video cameras in police cars.
In March 2000, at the request of the city manager, CRS mediators responded to racial tensions in Waynesville, Ohio, following accusations made by the NAACP of police racial profiling. CRS held meetings with the local police and leaders of the minority community. On June 1, CRS convened a mediation session with the two parties to discuss police policies and practices, and facilitated an agreement to develop a system for better communication, as well as a police complaint form intended to restore public confidence in local law enforcement.
In May 2000, CRS sent mediators to Canton, Ohio, to respond to escalated racial tensions between police and some in the Black community. Minority residents, through the National Action Network, had threatened to protest at the upcoming National Football League Hall of Fame festivities to draw attention to their allegations of police racial profiling. CRS convened mediation sessions among the mayor and other elected officials, the police chief, and community leaders to discuss the minority community's concerns, which also included police excessive use of force and the lack of employment opportunities for minorities in the city. After CRS facilitated a discussion regarding the development and implementation of a citizen review board, the parties signed a 16-point agreement, which provided for the adoption of an early warning system for troubled officers and the establishment of community investment programs. With CRS's assistance, the parties were able to involve all affected segments of the community in the agreement and avert the planned protest, and the potential for violent confrontation. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
On July 5, 2000, CRS responded to rising racial tensions between security guards at the Fairlane Mall and members of the Black community in Dearborn, Michigan. Tensions stemmed from the strangling death of a Black man by the guards. CRS provided technical assistance at two rallies, one of which was at the Federal Court House. CRS developed contingency planning for local law enforcement and self-marshaling training for protest leaders and worked with police officials, community activists, and NAACP representatives to defuse racial tension and avoid violence during the demonstrations.
The conflict resolution and violence prevention work plan from the Midwest Region includes 21 major outreach projects covering the six-state area. The projects range from cultural diversity training seminars and student conflict resolution training in schools to conferences on racial profiling, hate crimes training, and law enforcement-community relations. Major efforts will be made to forge links with the states' Human Relations Commissions, interfaith groups, Mexican American communities, court systems, Native American tribes, and federal agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
1 Regional Director
2 Conciliation Specialists
SOUTHWEST
Servicing AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
At the request of the local NAACP president in May 2000, CRS responded to rising racial tension in Las Cruces, New Mexico, following a series of allegations by the NAACP of excessive use of force in southern New Mexico. CRS met with the U.S. Attorney, the local police chief, and leaders of the Black community and helped them formulate a plan to address the allegations. The parties agreed to participate in CRS's civil liability and civil rights training for law enforcement agencies from southern New Mexico.
In November 1999, at the request of the local NAACP and the city manager of Athens, Texas, CRS responded to increasing tension between the police department and minority residents following allegations of police harassment of Black and Hispanic citizens. CRS convened a meeting among the mayor, city manager, police chief, and minority leaders and facilitated discussion of administration of justice racial issues. As a result of CRS mediation, the parties agreed to collaborate to ensure fairness in law enforcement and signed a memorandum of understanding detailing 24 proactive measures they would take, including civil rights training for police, the use of video cameras in police cars, and the creation of a citizens complaint review committee.
In June 2000, CRS's services were requested by the president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Anson Amistad Council to help resolve mounting racial tensions between local police and Hispanic citizens alleging disparate policing practices in the area. CRS worked with law enforcement officials and community leaders to improve communication between the parties and develop a mediation plan to address the root causes of the tensions in Anson and surrounding towns. At the agreement of all parties, CRS provided an extensive liability and civil rights training for law enforcement agencies, which was attended by six police chiefs, five county sheriffs, two district attorneys, two justices of the peace, and leaders from minority communities. By focusing on such issues as off-duty employment liability, legal review, and civil rights violations, CRS empowered local police departments to resolve more effectively conflicts with local citizens.
Jasper, Texas, continued to be a focus of attention for CRS, as the city undertook steps to increase its ability to address racial issues and organized activity by White supremacists. The city requested CRS to provide hate crimes and diversity training for the Jasper police department. CRS provided technical assistance to Jasper's Race Relations Task Force, which was established by the mayor to address long-term racial issues. Further, CRS worked with local schools to establish a ministers-in-schools project to reduce fear among Black students, who were particularly affected by the 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr. As a result of CRS services, city officials, police, school administrators, and members of the minority community continue to work together to improve race relations in Jasper.
In Hart, Texas, CRS responded in June 2000 to a request for assistance by LULAC, concerning alleged disparaging remarks made by a schoolteacher about Hispanic students. CRS mediated tensions between the school board and a parents group over disciplining the teacher. As a result of CRS's facilitation of discussion among school board members, the superintendent, the parents group, and LULAC leaders, the parties worked together to restore stability to the community.
CRS mediated tensions between school districts and Native American communities over the use of Native American mascots in schools on multiple occasions in FY 2000. In May 2000, at the request of the American Indian Research Center (AIRC), CRS facilitated discussion among representatives of the Independent School District and AIRC in San Antonio, Texas, over the use of racial symbols in schools and the potential for change. By promoting dialogue, CRS helped local parties resolve this issue and reduce racial tensions in the city.
In March 2000, CRS responded to escalating tensions caused by violence against Asian-owned businesses in a Black community in Houston, Texas. CRS participated in meetings with representatives of city government, law enforcement, the Pakistani Grocers Association, and the NAACP about numerous robberies and fatal shootings of convenience store workers in the area. CRS helped the parties establish strong, cooperative relationships to devise local solutions to community racial problems. The parties held a joint press conference to condemn criminal activity and to correct media reports that they were divided along racial lines. CRS has continued to assist them in their attempts to defuse racial tension on this issue.
A major portion of the region's work plan is devoted to increasing CRS visibility and awareness of services by establishing cooperative partnerships with public and private organizations. CRS will increase outreach activities in this region with Hispanic, Black, Asian American, and Native American national organizations as well as with concerned citizen groups to build coalitions working toward conflict resolution and violence prevention to reduce racial tension.
1 Regional Director
3 Conciliation Specialists
CENTRAL
Servicing IA, KS, MO, NE
In June 2000, at the request of leaders of the National Action Network (NAN), CRS responded to escalated racial tensions between police and members of the Black community, after the fatal police shooting of two Black men during an attempted drug arrest in St. Louis County, Missouri. Local community groups and NAN held rallies to protest the excessive use of force by police. CRS provided contingency planning and technical assistance to law enforcement officials and protest leaders to preserve peace and order during the demonstrations. Community groups also planned acts of civil disobedience, including the "shut down" of a major highway in the county. CRS convened meetings and facilitated negotiations among multiple local law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, and minority community organizations. By engaging them in productive dialogue, CRS helped improve communication and ease racial tensions among the parties. Furthermore, CRS played a major role in averting the planned "shut down" of a major thoroughfare which could have resulted in injuries to police and protesters and hindered emergency medical response to life threatening situations in the area. CRS continued to work with all parties to help them develop locally implemented resolutions to their own conflicts.
In July 2000, CRS responded to escalated tensions between the police department and the Black community in Omaha, Nebraska. Racial tensions were strained by community allegations of excessive use of force, following the fatal police shooting of an unarmed Black man after a high speed chase. CRS convened meetings with city councilmen, the police chief, and leaders of the NAACP and encouraged all parties to focus on the issues involving police policies. CRS also provided contingency planning assistance to police officials and organizers of a planned demonstration to ensure a peaceful protest. Furthermore, CRS facilitated improved communication between police and members of the minority community by providing technical assistance to the city in its decision to establish a police auditor program.
From August 30 to September 1, 2000, CRS cosponsored the Eleventh Annual Law Enforcement Executives Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Police executives from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Tennessee participated. Speakers including FBI representatives, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, and the mayor of St. Louis, addressed issues relating to the prevention of violence and the improvement of police-community relations. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
Moberly and Jefferson City, MO
In June, 2000, CRS conducted two hate crimes and cultural diversity training programs for the police departments in Moberly and Jefferson City, Missouri. CRS services were requested by the executive director of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, who wanted to take proactive steps toward preventing and resolving hate-motivated violence in the state. The training was well received by the approximately 50 participants, who reported they were better equipped to properly address hate crimes in their jurisdictions.
At the request of local Black citizens, CRS deployed personnel to Omaha, Nebraska, to address growing racial tensions over protests surrounding the College World Series in June 2000. Blacks used the high profile nature of the event as a platform to protest the city's alleged discriminatory allocation of resources, and to call for a more effective civilian review board, and more city board appointments of minorities to reflect the city's diversity. CRS worked closely with local police and protesters and provided contingency planning assistance to ensure peaceful conduct in the demonstrations. CRS trained protesters in self-policing procedures, including the designation of self-marshals, and facilitated communication between the police and marshals during the protests. CRS's on-site conflict resolution and violence prevention services were instrumental in the maintenance of peace and order during the demonstrations.
At the request of the superintendent of the Park Hill school district in Kansas City, Missouri, CRS conducted diversity training focusing on Hispanic culture to district administrators in January, 2000. CRS trained over 40 local school administrators on racial and cultural sensitivities needed to prevent and resolve conflicts among the increasingly diverse student population. Based on the success of the training, the superintendent and CRS planned a second training in conflict resolution for the near future.
In March 2000, at the request of the Latino Ad Hoc Committee (LAHC), a local community group, CRS helped decrease racial tensions in Kansas City, Kansas. Community tension had increased after Wyandotte Countians Against Crime (WCAC) printed in its newsletter an anti-immigrant article likening undocumented immigrants to thieves, murderers, and rapists. CRS held meetings with the LAHC and WCAC and mediated discussions about the newsletter article and other related racial issues. The following May, CRS facilitated the signing of a formal memorandum of understanding between the parties, in which the parties pledged to work together to improve community relations in Kansas City.
CRS will conduct a major regional law enforcement executives conference to advance the agency's initiative on improving police-community relations and addressing issues of community policing, cultural diversity, and racial profiling. Another priority of the region's work plan is to assist law enforcement agencies, school districts, and other appropriate community entities in understanding cultural differences of new Latino immigrants. A special training program will be developed for use in preventing or responding to conflicts involving newly arrived immigrants.
1 Regional Director
2 Conciliation Specialists
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Servicing CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
In March 2000, CRS responded to escalating racial tensions in Glendale, Colorado, caused by community allegations of police excessive use of force against minorities. At the request of the police chief, CRS worked with the Glendale mayor and city manager, police administrators, and community members to determine possible resolutions to the conflict. CRS held two public forums for parties to voice their concerns on the relevant racial issues and facilitated an agreement to establish a new citizens complaint process and a citizens advisory panel to the police department. CRS provided technical assistance to police regarding the complaint process and worked with the advisory panel for several months until it was able to function independently. As a result of CRS mediation, police-community relations in Glendale improved significantly and local parties began to work more cooperatively to resolve their own conflicts.
In late July 2000, CRS deployed personnel to Lake Andes, South Dakota, to respond to escalating tension between the local police department and the Yankton Sioux tribe, after a police officer allegedly choked an Indian youth. CRS's services were prompted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent's request for assistance in addressing conflicts among police, Charles Mix County officials, and tribal leaders. CRS facilitated a series of meetings and mediated an agreement which, in part, provides for the establishment of a committee to improve communication and promote cooperation among the parties.
At the request of Hispanic residents from Moab, Utah, CRS mediated a conflict between them and the Utah state patrol over allegations of racial profiling and community perceptions of the disparate treatment of minorities by police. CRS facilitated a meeting on June 26, 2000, between the police and minorities and helped them understand each others' concerns. With CRS's assistance, the police were able to restore improved community confidence in the state patrol by pledging to eliminate racial profiling. CRS continues to work with police and concerned citizens to improve police-community relations.
In July 2000, at the request of a Hispanic advocacy group, Hands Off Our Kids (HOOK), CRS responded to rising racial tensions between police and Hispanic youths in Pueblo, Colorado. Tensions had resulted from HOOK's allegations of discrimination and racial profiling by private security personnel under the supervision of the Pueblo police department. CRS conducted a mediation session between police and HOOK members and facilitated an agreement on proposed changes to police policies on security guard licensing and handling youth offenders. Also, in September 2000, CRS helped HOOK hold a seminar for young people entitled, "Youth and the Law."
At the request of the Cortez, Colorado, police department, CRS provided hate crimes training to area law enforcement officials on February 23, 2000. CRS services specifically addressed police concerns about previous interracial violence and existing tension between police and Native American communities. CRS worked with the U.S. Attorney's office, the Colorado Lawyers Committee, and the Colorado Anti-Violence Project to train local police, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials, and tribal officers in the prevention, identification, and resolution of conflict involving hate crimes.
In January 2000, CRS responded to city officials' request for assistance in preventing violence during the Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative march and parade ("marade") in Denver, Colorado. City officials, law enforcement officers, and community leaders were concerned about the potential for racial conflict during the marade, as past years had seen confrontations between demonstrators and counter-demonstrating Ku Klux Klan members. CRS assisted city officials with contingency planning and trained over 150 volunteer marshals in the weeks before the protest. CRS technical assistance and mediation services proved instrumental to the preservation of peace during the marade, which attracted over 30,000 participants.
CRS provided mediation and technical services to local police and community members during the potentially volatile celebration of Columbus Day in September 2000. Racial tension between Italian Americans and Native Americans had increased dramatically after a local group was granted a permit to hold a Columbus Day parade for the first time in eight years. Native Americans and Hispanics protested the parade that celebrated Christopher Columbus, whom they believe brought European illnesses and death to Native Americans. CRS mediated the conflict and helped improve communication between the two groups. CRS also provided assistance in contingency planning and violence prevention to local police and Native Americans, ensuring a peaceful demonstration during the parade. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a detailed report.]
CRS assisted police and city officials and community leaders during the annual celebration of the Columbus Day celebration in Pueblo, Colorado. The Pueblo event had traditionally been a source of community conflict and outbreaks of violence. Last year, the event was marred by an incident where balloons filled with red liquid were tossed at the celebrants. CRS worked diligently with organizers of the protests as well as the celebrants to prevent any disruption. CRS also provided technical assistance by way of contingency planning to the police department to prepare for potential disturbances. The event was peaceful and without incident.
On May 14, 2000, CRS met with faculty and students from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to address growing racial tension on campus surrounding the use of "Fighting Sioux" as the school's athletic mascot and logo. Students opposing the portrayal of Native Americans in the logo had become more vocal about the issue and had also faced verbal abuse and property vandalism by others at the school. The University president appointed a commission to research the issue and advise him on potential resolutions to the conflict. CRS is continuing its efforts to broker an agreement between the University stakeholder groups and logo objectors. A forum at the University will be held in October 2001 to publicly discuss the controversy. CRS will also provide hate crimes response training to the Campus Police in 2001.
Programs will be targeted to the unique issues of Native Americans in the Rocky Mountain region. Inter-tribal mediation training will take place in South Dakota as part of CRS support for an inter-tribal consortium. Other programs focusing on conflict resolution will be directed at school districts, community groups, and law enforcement agencies. Emphasis will also be placed on hate crimes training, focusing on the identification and reporting of hate crimes, for police departments around the region.
The influx of illegal aliens into the country affects racial tensions in this region. The INS has emphasized special enforcement efforts in Colorado and Utah. These publicized efforts have resulted in a "backlash" by Latino communities. There have been claims of racial profiling against legal residents and citizens due to their ethnic identities. Also, communities have resisted efforts of inclusion and have sponsored legislative efforts such as "English only laws." Issues of disparate treatment have arisen in the vehicle operator licensing of Hispanic citizens. CRS is also assessing conflicts created in the classroom, as populations shift from Black to Latino majorities in some schools.
CRS will be working with local and state law enforcement agencies toward implementation of a policy prohibiting racial profiling. Specifically, CRS is part of a Denver police department task force to develop data analysis and in-service training for the police. CRS is working with law enforcement, local academics, and community members to host a two- or three-day conference on the issues of bias based policing. This conference would promote awareness and provide recommendations of best practices.
1 Regional Director
4 Conciliation Specialists
WESTERN
Servicing AZ, CA, HI, NV, GUAM
At the request of local church and NAACP leaders, CRS initially responded in January 1999 to escalated racial tension following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in Claremont, California. In FY 2000, CRS continued to mediate tensions over allegations of excessive use of force between police and minority residents. From October 1999 through the first months of 2000, CRS was on-site at weekly protest actions, intervening in disputes among protesters and counter-protesting city and police officers. CRS facilitated dialogues among the mayor, city manager, police officials, and community leaders to defuse tensions and explore alternatives to street protests in addressing allegations of police excessive use of force. CRS helped improve communication between police and minority citizens and trained 40 Claremont facilitators in conducting race relations study circles. CRS continues to provide technical assistance to the involved parties.
In October 1999, at the request of both the police chief and Black leaders, CRS met with police and community representatives to address increased racial tension following allegations of excessive use of force in the fatal police shooting of a Black former pro football player in San Diego, California. CRS also trained volunteer self-marshals for a protest march and rally and served as a liaison between local police and demonstrators, helping to prevent violence during the protest. In the months following the protest, CRS provided technical assistance to police and community members regarding dispute resolution and violence prevention. As a result of CRS services, police and citizens began cooperatively addressing use of force issues, and the minority advisory committee to the police department initiated a review of police practices to help prevent and effectively address similar incidents.
In April 2000, CRS responded to escalated racial tensions in and around Douglas, Arizona, between established communities and the new immigrant population. Dramatic increases in U.S.-Mexico border crossings and the INS's consequent decision to beef up border controls contributed to rising conflict in the area, as Latino advocacy groups raised concerns of racial profiling of Latino U.S. citizens by federal border patrol and local law enforcement. CRS met with INS officials, the U.S. Attorney, local elected officials and police, and both anti-immigration and Latino rights groups to improve communication and defuse tension among the parties. With the agreement of the parties, CRS provided community relations training to federal border patrol agents and technical assistance to local police and residents for a peaceful pro-immigrant demonstration. CRS continues to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement and community groups on addressing racial tensions in Douglas.
On September 19, 2000, CRS cosponsored a Forum on Hate Crime which addressed bias motivated incidents with law enforcement command staff, state and local officials including the State Attorney General, school officials, and community leaders in Ukiah, California. CRS provided information to more than 200 residents in this rural community on ways to improve hate crime reporting, educate the public about hate crime laws, and prepare responses to hate motivated incidents. The forum was broadcast by a local radio station and given widespread media coverage. Over the last few years, CRS has worked with officials and community leaders to help combat and prevent hate crimes and bias motivated incidents which have occurred in Mendocino County.
On October 22, 1999, CRS deployed personnel to help prevent violence during a two-mile march and rally in Los Angeles, California, to protest the local and national increase in police shootings. CRS coordinated with police representatives and march organizers to plan for an orderly demonstration. CRS also mediated conflicts between police officers and protesters during the march, including an incident in which CRS mobilized a group of self-marshals to prevent further conflict and violence between a group of protesters and a group of police.
On April 29, 2000, CRS assisted Los Angeles police and community leaders to avoid the escalation of racial tensions during a march and rally to commemorate the 1992 riots and to call attention to police-community conflict in south central Los Angeles. CRS facilitated communication between police and event organizers and helped resolve disputes between them over the course of the protest. Due in large part to CRS's conciliation services, no major confrontations between police and protesters occurred.
In August 2000, CRS was on-site at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, California, to mediate racial conflicts and preserve peace between police and protesters participating in the scheduled demonstrations. Involved in the planning process early on, CRS worked with police and protest leaders to negotiate demonstration sites and march routes before the event and provided conciliation services in the streets of Los Angeles during the convention. CRS services were essential for establishing good relations between law enforcement and minority organizations and helped prevent major disruptions. CRS was praised by the police, the protesters, and the media for resolving conflicts and preventing violence. [Please see the Profiles section of this report for a more detailed account of this case.]
On July 29, 2000, CRS collaborated with the San Diego police department and county sheriffs, border patrol, and state park rangers to prevent violence and maintain order during an immigrants' rights march in San Ysidro, California. Local residents gathered to protest the vigilante tactics used by ranchers in Arizona, the alleged white supremacist assaults against immigrant laborers, and the deaths occurring on the U.S.-Mexico border. CRS facilitated pre-march negotiations among local police, immigrants rights groups, and anti-immigrant groups to ensure a peaceful march. The demonstration, in which about 200 supporters and 20 counter-protesters participated, was completed without violent confrontations.
On January 25, 2000, at the request of school officials, CRS deployed mediators to Hawthorne, California, to assist the administration in defusing racial tensions at the high school. Sparked by hostility between Latino and Black youth gangs, conflict had erupted on January 24 in a major brawl involving hundreds of students. CRS worked with law enforcement officials and school administrators to address the root causes of this disturbance. CRS helped parties establish a task force to address racial conflict in the school, in which city police, representatives of the county Human Relations Commission, school officials, and community leaders were represented.
In May 2000, CRS was asked by the principal of Hoover High School in Glendale, California, to assist school and community leaders in calming racial tensions sparked by the May 8 stabbing murder of a Hoover student who had intervened in a gang confrontation. CRS provided conciliation services focusing on rumor control, facilitated student and community forums to discuss the death, and trained 20 student marshals for a "peace rally" at the school. CRS also worked closely with the city manager, superintendent of schools, police chief, and community leaders to develop short- and long-term plans for the prevention of youth violence.
On June 26, 2000, the Mexican Political Association (MPA) contacted CRS to request its assistance in reducing racial tensions stemming from allegations of excessive use of force by a high school resource officer in Perris, California. CRS convened Perris school district officials and MPA leaders to discuss the alleged abuse of a Latina student and resulting community tensions. CRS facilitated an agreement which resolved the dispute and provided for reviews of school personnel involved in the incident and search and seizure procedures used by school security.
The region is one of the fastest growing in the country in numbers and diversity. Both rural and urban communities are subject to increased intergroup conflict. CRS will accelerate its hate crimes training program throughout the region. In addition, CRS will continue in the development of "Project Peace: A Comprehensive District-wide Conflict Resolution Program," which is directed at police, schools, and communities.
CRS will also cosponsor a major regional conference which will record best practices and lessons learned from conflict response practitioners.
1 Regional Director
2 Conciliation Specialists
NORTHWEST
Servicing AK, ID, OR, WA
On January 21, 2000, the Kampuchean Association of Olympia requested CRS assistance in mediating racial tensions between the police department and the Cambodian community in Lacey, Washington. Following allegations of police excessive use of force against a 69-year-old Cambodian motorist at a traffic stop, Cambodian leaders called for an apology and reimbursement of the man's medical bills from the police. CRS worked with local and county police, community members, and the rector of a local church to promote dialogue over concerns about lack of communication, cooperation, and trust between police and the community. With CRS's assistance, the parties committed to working together to improve community awareness of police procedures and to review police practices in dealing with immigrants with limited English skills.
At the request of Black community leaders, CRS responded to escalating racial tensions in Seattle, Washington, following the April 12, 2000, fatal shooting of a knife-wielding, mentally ill Black man by a White police officer. The community outcry over police excessive use of force, racial profiling, and the lack of police accountability resulted in hostility between local police and minority residents. CRS provided on-site conciliation services to preserve peace in demonstrations held by local minority advocacy groups. In June, CRS convened meetings with police and community representatives to discuss departmental policies and procedures and facilitated workshops for the police department on alternative less-than-lethal use of force. CRS continues to work with local police and residents to help restore minority community confidence in the criminal justice system.
On June 1, 2000, at the request of the chief of police, CRS participated on a police and civilian panel in Portland, Oregon, to help address community concerns about racial profiling. CRS worked with police administrators and minority residents to develop constructive solutions to perceived profiling practices and to enhance police-community relations. In August 2000, with CRS's help, the panel on police profiling recommended cultural diversity training, recruitment of minorities, data collection on profiling, and increased accountability for officers. CRS will continue to offer technical assistance to the police department regarding implementation of the recommendations.
During the week of October 18, 1999, at the request of minority residents, CRS assisted students and community members in planning for a rally to celebrate diversity and condemn intolerance in Puyallup, Washington. The rally was held in response to the distribution of hate literature in local neighborhoods and telephonic death threats against the local high school's 47 Black students. CRS worked with local police, city and school officials, clergy, and community leaders to prepare for the rally and trained volunteer self-marshals to ensure a peaceful demonstration. Approximately 350 people participated in the October 24 event, which was completed without any incidents or confrontations.
In March 2000, CRS was contacted by the United Farm Workers of Washington, a majority Hispanic group, to help resolve tensions with local police concerning a scheduled labor march in Pasco, Washington. CRS facilitated the resolution of a conflict over the issuance of a parade permit and assisted police and event organizers in intensive self-marshal training to help ensure an orderly march. CRS also facilitated communication and resolved differences between police and protesters during the march on June 4, in which about 4,000 people participated. CRS services contributed to the preservation of order and the prevention of violence during the event.
At the request of the Minority Community Police Relations Task Force, CRS deployed personnel to Anchorage, Alaska, on August 10, 2000, to address racial problems stemming from the influx of Latinos and other immigrants. CRS worked with the chief of police, the executive director of the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, and representatives of minority communities to address police-community tensions and access to the justice system for non-English speaking communities. CRS provided Spanish, Vietnamese, and English versions of pamphlets addressing police-community relations and cosponsored a program for police on minority hiring and recruitment. CRS also worked with the parties to develop a collaborative approach whereby police and minority communities work collectively to resolve racial conflicts.
From September 7 to 13, 2000, CRS also provided on-site cultural diversity training for court interpreters in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, at the request of the Alaska state court interpreter subcommittee. In conjunction with local judges and court administrators, CRS presented workshops aimed at enhancing language interpreters' knowledge of cultural sensitivities as well as constitutional and ethical issues impacting language access to the justice system.
CRS continued throughout FY 2000 to work with the INS Community Relations Committee in Yakima County, Washington, to defuse racial tensions sparked by the INS's intensified efforts to return undocumented immigrants to their native countries. CRS convened joint meetings of INS officials, church leaders, social service providers, and community representatives to promote dialogue among the parties and discuss plans to improve relations between the INS and the community. On August 26, 2000, the committee conducted its first public informational and discussion forum. CRS provided technical assistance to the committee in the planning process.
CRS will continue outreach efforts to U.S. Attorneys in Idaho, Washington, and Alaska to encourage dialogue on emerging issues related to hate and bias concerns. CRS will cosponsor a statewide hate crimes conference in Oregon with the U.S. Attorney's office, the city of Eugene, the Eugene police department, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, the Coalition Against Hate Crimes, and the Youth for Justice organization.
CRS National Headquarters Office
Community Relations Service
600 E Street, NW, Suite 6000
Washington, DC 20530
202/305-2935
202/305-3009 (FAX)
Regional Offices
I. New England
(ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI)
Community Relations Service
408 Atlantic Avenue, Room 222
Boston, MA 02201
617/424-5715
617/424-5727 (FAX)
II. Northeast
(NY, NJ, VI, PR)
Community Relations Service
26 Federal Plaza, Suite 36-118
New York, NY 10278
212/264-0700
212/264-2143 (FAX)
III. Mid-Atlantic
(DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV)
Community Relations Service
2nd and Chestnut Streets, Suite 208
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215/597-2344
215/597-9148 (FAX)
IV. Southeast
(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN)
Community Relations Service
75 Piedmont Ave., NE, Suite 900
Atlanta, GA 30303
404/331-6883
404/331-4471 (FAX)
V. Midwest
(IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI)
Community Relations Service
55 West Monroe Street, Suite 420
Chicago. IL 60603
312/353-4391
312/353-4390 (FAX)
VI. Southwest
(AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)
Community Relations Service
1420 West Mockingbird Lane, Suite 250
Dallas, TX 75247
214/655-8175
214/655-8184 (FAX)
VII. Central
(IA, KS, MO, NE)
Community Relations Service
1100 Main Street, Suite 320
Kansas City, MO 64105-2112
816/426-7434
816/426-7441 (FAX)
VIII. Rocky Mountain
(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY)
Community Relations Service
1244 Speer Blvd., Suite 650
Denver, CO 80204-3584
303/844-2973
303/844-2907 (FAX)
IX. Western
(AZ, CA, GU, HI, NV)
Community Relations Service
888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1880
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213/894-2941
213/894-2880 (FAX)
X. Northwest
(AK, ID, OR, WA)
Community Relations Service
915 Second Avenue, Suite 1808
Seattle, WA 98174
206/220-6700
206/220-6706 (FAX)
Field Offices
Community Relations Service
51 SW First Ave., Suite 624
Miami, FL 33130
305/536-5206
305/536-6778 (FAX)
Community Relations Service
211 West Fort Street, Suite 1404
Detroit, MI 48226
313/226-4010
313/226-2568 (FAX)
Community Relations Service
515 Rusk Avenue, Suite 12605
Houston, TX 77002
713/718-4861
713/718-4862 (FAX)
Community Relations Service
120 Howard Street, Suite 790
San Francisco, CA 94105
415/744-6565
415/744-6590 (FAX)
CRS Customer Service Standards
Our goal is to provide sensitive and effective conflict prevention and resolution services. CRS will meet the following standards:
Alert
The first of the four CRS decision-making phases for delivery of conflict prevention and resolution services in which information is gathered about a dispute, disagreement, or difficulty arising out of discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin and a determination is made on whether to proceed to the assessment phase.
Assessment
The second of the four decision-making phases. An assessment is conducted to determine if CRS should intervene and, if so, what CRS should do (i.e. develop a plan of action).
Case
That set of actions that begins when the Resolution Phase is entered and ends when the Closure Phase is completed. Each case that has a distinct set of parties, issues, and location.
Closure
The last of the four decision-making phases. This phase is completed when the objectives are met, when there is little likelihood that the objectives will be met, or when CRS no longer has jurisdiction under 42 U.S.C. § 2000g.
Conciliation
A conflict prevention and resolution method used by CRS to provide assistance to communities.
Conflict
A conflict exists when two or more parties have competitive or opposing actions or perceptions related to race, color, or national origin. For purposes of this policy, conflict is defined by all three statutory terms used to describe situations in which CRS will provide assistance. (42 U.S.C. § 2000g) The three statutory terms are disputes, disagreements, and difficulties.
Conflict Resolution Services
All activities conducted under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 2000g to assist communities in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. These activities are conducted through the provision of four methods: (1) conciliation, (2) mediation, (3) technical assistance, (4) training.
Major Racial and Ethnic Crises
Those situations of widespread community disruption of national importance.
Mediation
A conflict prevention and resolution method that involves intervention between conflicting parties to promote settlement of a conflict through the terms of an oral or written agreement.
Resolution Phase
The third of four decision-making phases in which plans are implemented in accord with the assessment phase.
Self-Marshals
Also known as demonstration marshals, these are trained individuals, usually volunteers, who step away from the event as participants and accept the responsibility of helping the organization conduct the event and ensure the health and safety of participants. Self marshal activities typically include: acting as a liaison with local law enforcement; monitoring the demonstration; and providing information on routes, first aid, water and rest stations.
Technical Assistance
Providing expert services to communities that will assist in the prevention or resolution of a conflict.
Training
Providing instruction that will assist in the prevention or resolution of a conflict.
Published
annually by:
U.S. Department of Justice
Community Relations Service
John Ashcroft, Attorney General
Sharee Freeman, Director
Jonathan Chance, Associate Director
Frances Nam, Senior Policy Analyst
Edited by:
Frances Nam, Senior Policy Analyst
Chiraag Bains, Summer 2001 Intern
| The Attorney General has determined that the publication of this annual report is necessary in the transaction of public business as required of the U.S. Department of Justice by Section 100 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (PL. 88-352) and by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1966, as revised by 28 C.F.R. 0.30(b). |