Community Relations Service

     SEATTLE, WA—The U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS) cosponsored a cultural awareness and protocol seminar on June 3 for law enforcement officers, support service workers, local officials, and community leaders from the Pacific Northwestern states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The seminar focused on improving awareness of Arab, Muslim and Sikh cultures and issues. It was held at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center, located at 19010 First Avenue South. The training event emerged out of a partnership between CRS, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington and the Seattle Police Department.

Remarks were given by CRS Director Sharee M. Freeman, U.S. Attorney John McKay and Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske.

"We featured a cultural awareness film entitled The First Three to Five Seconds, a police roll call training video," said Director Freeman. "As an integral part of this training, the film serves as an authoritative learning tool on Arab and Muslim culture."

The seminar, one in a series of cultural awareness and protocol seminars for law enforcement agencies, was sponsored by CRS and was developed in partnership with Connecting Cultures and Sikh Mediwatch and Resource Task Force. The event was a continuation of efforts to address issues affecting Arab, Muslim and Sikh communities encountering racial tension.

CRS is a unique federal component of the U.S. Department of Justice, dedicated to preventing and resolving racial and ethnic conflicts. More information about CRS may be found at www.usdoj.gov/crs.

For more information about this news spotlight, please contact Deputy Director Stephen Thom at (202) 305-2935.

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