United States Attorney’s Office Participating in Events to Mark National Community Policing Week Including ‘Coffee with a Cop’ Today

            LOS ANGELES – President Obama has designated this week as National Community Policing Week to “reaffirm our commitment to supporting and advancing the practice of community policing and to fortifying the bonds between police officers and communities.”

            The United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles is marking National Community Policing Week by participating in numerous programs across the Southland that strengthened the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves. This morning federal prosecutors across the Southland participated in “Coffee with a Cop” day, where police officers shared coffee with community members, and United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker participated in a “virtual ride along” with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Community Relations Team.

            Throughout the week federal prosecutors were out in the community, building relationships and continuing to open dialogues at community fairs, read-alongs at elementary schools, and a screening and discussion of the FBI film “Chasing the Dragon,” which chronicles the horror of prescription drug abuse.

            The United States Attorney and Assistant United States Attorneys are partnering with law enforcement agencies around the region, including the South Pasadena Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Redondo Beach Police Department, the LAPD, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the San Marino Police Department.

            Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community – both sworn officers and civilians – have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.

            The Department of Justice has invested heavily in the concept of community policing. Earlier this week, United States Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced $119 million in grant money to 184 law enforcement agencies for the hiring of Community Policing Officers. The grant recipients included the City of Los Angeles ($3.125 million), the City of Santa Ana ($1.25 million), and the San Bernardino Police Department ($2.85 million).

            Monday’s announcement follows several grants made in the last two months by the Department of Justice to local governments to improve police community relations:

            National Community Policing Week builds on President Obama’s efforts to engage with law enforcement and other members of the community to implement key recommendations from the 21^st Century Policing Task Force report. Yesterday the Attorney General recognized the LAPD, which was represented by Deputy Chief William Scott and Captain Ruby Flores, for its community policing efforts at the inaugural Attorney General’s Awards for Distinguished Service in Community Policing in Washington, D.C. These awards were given to those “who exemplify remarkable achievements in innovative community policing strategies, criminal investigations, and field operations.”

            “National Community Policing Week is an important opportunity to highlight the Department of Justice’s outreach to the communities we serve,” said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Developing and maintaining relationships between law enforcement and the communities that it serves are vital to improving transparency and community confidence. Such dialog is critical to addressing both the needs of law enforcement and the concerns of the community."

            For more information on National Community Policing Week or the Community Policing Tour, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/community-policing-tour.