Race Relations Council Recommendations

The Council has identified several topics to be discussed. These include gangs, intergenerational differences, domestic violence, racism and racial profiling, different traditions of policing, language barriers, and cultural differences.

Recommendations made by the group over the past year include:

a community video that explains and presents the different cultural perspectives and homeland experiences with police
produced Bilingual Television Call-In Shows that highlight different minority communities and specific issues of concern for each community group in Khmer and English
increased outreach in the minority community for participation in the LPD's Citizen's Police Academy and Student Police Academy
invited officers to participate in community meetings, church services, and ethnic gatherings
increased involvement of representatives from each racial/ethnic group in the Race Relations Council
reviewing and examining Lowell Police Department training practices.

A critical component of this initiative is the evaluation activities being conducted by Jack Green and Jack McDevitt of Northeastern University. Jack McDevitt's research on racial profiling and race relations strengthens the work and provides additional informations for the application of this best practice.

The Race Relations Council has already been identified as a model for replication, and recommendations have already begun to take form, including a draft curriculum and resource guide.

Click here to learn more about the current activities and initiatives of the Race Relations Council.