| Description |
This study engages with local law enforcement authorities (LEAs) and immigrant service providers (SPs) in order to construct a list of recommended practices which can be implemented to enhance rapport between LEAs and immigrants. Producing an efficient list of practices requires the assessment of current obstacles which prevent a strong trusting relationship between LEAs and immigrants. Therefore, 4 officers from the Salt Lake City Police Department and 4 local immigrant service providers were interviewed. Their answers uncovered challenges which hinder a strong relationship of trust between LEAs and immigrants. From the several challenges identified, two include the struggles of the language barrier and the necessity of increased interaction. Through the results of the 8 overall interviews, 4 overarching themes emerged. Based on these central themes, a list of 5 practices are recommended for implementation. These practices include providing an on-hand resource for contacting language interpreters, adding a portion about refugees into police diversity training, promoting more community engagement, classes for immigrants on LEAs, and encouraging LEAs to become more familiar with immigrant community leaders. |
