Building Relationships Between Police and the Vietnamese Community in Roanoke, Virginia

• NCJ Number: 185778
• Date Published: January 2001
• Length: 4 pages
• Author(s): Garry Coventry Ph.D.; Kelly D. Johnson Ph.D.
• Agencies: BJA
• Publication Series: BJA Bulletins
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Grant Number(s): 1999-DD-BX-0039

Annotation

This bulletin describes building relationships between police and the Vietnamese community in Roanoke, VA.

Abstract

In May 1997, the Roanoke, VA, police department initiated a dialogue with several community and local government agencies, including Refugee Immigration Services, a civic group known as the Vietnamese Association. The dialogue revealed significant cultural, ethnic, and language challenges in the interaction between the police department and the Vietnamese community. In an attempt to improve that interaction, the Roanoke police established an outreach program that included: cultural activities and tutoring for Vietnamese youth; outreach and education for Vietnamese adults; cultural training for police department staff; and assistance to Vietnamese businesses. The police department also created the position of Community Resource Specialist and filled it with a member of the Vietnamese community. The specialist had a central role in implementing outreach activities. The police department advanced its goal of increasing Vietnamese presence among sworn officers through frequent interaction between the resource specialist and the corps of police officers. Resources