Week 10 Assignment: Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness

 
As a profession, police are unique in the amount of power they can exercise with the general population. Because of this position of power and trust, police also have great need for training and understanding related to cultural sensitivity and awareness. They deal with populations across the community, and although there has been a recent focus on hiring criminal justice professionals that are representative of the populations they serve on the job, no one officer or group can be representative of all community members. This is where leadership related to police–community relations and cultural sensitivity can bridge the gaps and facilitate awareness.

Consider the following scenario: You have been hired as the chief of police in a community where there are strained police–community relations due to several instances of cultural insensitivity. In addition, police department morale is low due to complaints regarding cultural insensitivity among the police officers.

The Assignment
Create a 4- to 5-page professional report in which you outline a plan to a) improve police–community relations and b) address the morale and cultural insensitivity issues in the police force.

Part I: Explain two specific steps or programs that you would implement to improve police–community relations. Be specific, and provide evidence from the literature to support your choice of these steps or programs. (2–3 pages)

Part II: Explain two steps or programs that you would implement within the police force to address morale and cultural insensitivity. Be specific and provide evidence from the literature to support your choice of these steps or programs. (2–3 pages)

Provide at least three scholarly resources to support your recommendations.