Working on improving police-community relations requires specific knowledge and skills which may or may not have been part of one’s religious training. The approaches in the Building Trust Partnership Handbook and website require religious leaders to know certain information, to think differently, and to carry out a variety of actions. Convening a community dialogue requires facilitation skills. Asking the police to deliver a presentation on the criminal justice system requires knowledge about the system. Working with survivors of violence and their families, one needs training in trauma-informed care.
As religious leaders decide how they are going to build trust between police and communities, they should identify and fill gaps in their own knowledge and skills. The resources included here can help them do so.
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