Law enforcement agencies and associations across the United States are discussing ideas for how to increase community engagement to build trust with the people law enforcement serves. Community engagement is a fundamental part of community policing and procedural justice and must be a continuous effort to effectively build trust with the community.

Like many subcommunities, the LGBTQ+ community has had its struggles with law enforcement. In the first two thirds of the 20th century, these struggles were fueled by pressure on law enforcement from elected officials to enforce morality and public decency laws that, by today’s standards, seem ridiculous. These laws were used particularly to target gay men and members of the transgender community. The practice and method of enforcing these laws created a history of mistrust in law enforcement that many agencies are now working to correct.

One of the most effective ways for law enforcement to engage with the LGBTQ+ community is through an LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaison Program. LGBT Liaisons humanize law enforcement by putting a name and face on the law enforcement agency. This isn’t a new idea. In 1962, the San Francisco (California) Police Department appointed sergeant Elliott Blackstone, a straight-identified ally, to be the first LGBT Liaison to the growing gay community in that city. Since then, LGBT Liaisons have been appointed in jurisdictions large and small across the country and are having great success in restoring trust in law enforcement.

LGBT Liaison create connections with leaders in the community and provide an invaluable conduit for communication between the chief executive and the community. LGBT Liaisons are resources for other agency departments and officers, including investigators of domestic violence and hate crimes. They provide cultural competence training for agency personnel on LGBTQ+ issues, help in recruiting applicants for the agency, and troubleshoot conflict before it becomes a significant public relations challenge for the agency.

In 2020, Out to Protect Inc. conducted a nationwide survey of LGBT Liaison programs. We found that hundreds of programs were operating throughout the country, but that little was written down about them. We also discovered no training for LGBT Liaisons existed. Using the survey data, we identified some of the common roles and best practices used by successful programs. We then built a “training academy” that includes three different courses all designed to help law enforcement agencies build a program from the ground up. The goal of the LGBT Law Enforcement Liaison Academy is to guide participants in building a program that is sustainable and successful, no matter the size of the agency. The civilian and sworn personnel participating so far include LGBTQ+ identified members of law enforcement as well as straight allies. You don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to be a successful LGBT Liaison.

In 2023, Out to Protect created an LGBT Liaison Accreditation Program to recognize law enforcement agencies that operate an LGBT Liaison Program based on what we know to be the best practices. The accreditation program is based on six standards that agencies must demonstrate having met to receive accreditation:

• The LGBT Law Enforcement Liaison Program is institutionalized and sustainable.
• The LGBT Liaison builds community relationships and trust.
• The LGBT Liaison has established communications pathways.
• The LGBT Liaison is engaged with the community throughout the year.
• The LGBT Liaison is a resource for the law enforcement agency.
• A full-time employee is currently assigned and trained to serve as the LGBT Liaison.

There is also a set of optional exemplary practices for which agencies can earn additional credit toward accreditation. The details for how to meet all these standards are outlined in the LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaison Program Accreditation Guide.

Review of applications for accreditation is completed using a peer-review process with members of our National LGBT Liaison Network Leadership Team. The peer reviewers work with applicants to help them achieve accreditation status.

Accreditation is awarded for a three-year period, with annual updates required. Agencies receiving accreditation receive a plaque for display in the agency as well as insignia to use on websites and patrol vehicles. Out to Protect also publishes the name of each agency receiving accreditation and its executive on our website to share with the public the good work being accomplished by these accredited departments.

One of the accreditation requirements is for LGBT Liaisons to complete a course of training at least equivalent to the LGBT Liaison Academy. Out to Protect provides the LGBT Liaison Academy in a fully online format that accessible to any law enforcement agency in the United States. This training is made available at no cost to any member of U.S. law enforcement through a full scholarship provided by the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The Matthew Shepard Foundation shares our view that strong community engagement by law enforcement with the LGBTQ+ community is vital, especially when a community emergency, such as a hate crime, occurs. We want agencies to be prepared and well connected before a crisis develops.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, under the leadership of Sheriff John W. Mina, was the first law enforcement agency in history to receive accreditation of its LGBT Liaison Program. Lt. Brandon Ragan leads a team of LGBT Liaisons and was the first to apply for accreditation of the program through Out to Protect. The Orange County Sheriff Office LGBT Liaison Program is a model for the nation.

If your law enforcement agency is looking for ways to give voice to your community, increase respect, and to build trust, then consider engaging with your community by creating an LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaison Program. To learn more about how to get started, go to outtoprotect.org or call 855-687-5428. Most of our training, including the LGBT Liaison Academy, is available to law enforcement at no cost.

For more information:
Greg Miraglia
www.outtoprotect.org
Phone: 855-687-5428

Image courtesy of Out to Protect.

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