In 2020, after a protest march in their city demanding justice for the murder of George Floyd, the Kent (Washington) Police Department (KPD) met with civic and community leaders to figure out the best methods for strengthening their relations with the communities they serve.

Said KPD Assistant Chief Andy Grove, “The lack of public trust in law enforcement had reached a crisis point, especially in communities of color. And our city is very diverse, with African, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, as well as people from India and the Middle East, among others. So, we had to do something new and different to address all their concerns.”

After several months of discussion with community, civic, and government leaders, a plan was agreed to and the Community Immersion Law Enforcement Program (CILEP), a unique pre-academy internship program for newly hired police recruits, was launched in 2021. The first program of its kind in the United States, CILEP partners with the KPD to embed these new recruits in the communities they will eventually serve as officers. After onboarding and teaching them departmental policies during their first-day orientation, the KPD deploys the recruits to local nonprofit organizations, where they will work for 40 hours a week for eight weeks before attending the state of Washington’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA).

A Meaningful Engagement with Lasting Benefits

Said Assistant Chief Grove, “It was important to those on the CILEP planning committee that the recruits learn about our communities as a first step, before they get training in firearms, defensive tactics, and criminal procedures. They wanted to help build a police department that meets their needs.

“Moreover, our chief, Rafael Padilla, realized that even with the best of intentions, officers could not fully understand the cultures or concerns of the people they serve without having had first-hand personal experiences with cultures other than their own.

“We initially thought that our officers should spend a couple of days at one location, then move to another. But community members stressed the importance of building long-term relationships, which would be more meaningful and enduring. So, we designed the program around a two-month commitment to an individual organization, enabling more personal interaction with agency clients and their families.

“KPD assigns the recruits based on the needs of the organization as well as the location where they would learn the most. The recruits work in a variety of roles, doing service-related work with clients and non-profit staff members, so it’s a real immersion,” he added.

During CILEP’s first year, recruits were placed with the World Relief of Western Washington—an organization that assists new immigrants—where they picked up new arrivals at the airport and helped them enroll in English as a Second Language classes, learn about their new home, find jobs, and navigate their immigration paperwork. They also drove family members to medical and dental appointments and physically moved them into emergency housing.

The following year, the KPD deployed 15 recruits to intern with Vine Maple Place, which provides shelter and other assistance to single parents experiencing homelessness, addiction, or other challenges.

Said Assistant Chief Grove, “At the shelter, recruits do intake, screening potential clients and deciding what their care plan should include. So, they hear the plight of single moms who were assaulted, in crisis, and need housing. This gives them a deep understanding of these problems and the people burdened with them.

“They work with the children, too, mentoring, tutoring, and playing games with them. So, they become trained in trauma-informed conflict resolution and understand the impacts of addiction and domestic violence. This year we also have a CILEP intern partnership with YMCA programs which serve disadvantaged kids and at-risk youth.”

Positive Impacts on the Recruits and in the Community

Said Assistant Chief Grove, “The community loves it, and so do the recruits. For me personally, it’s a real gift to read the interns’ weekly reports and see how they are matching their experiences to their learning goals, and how they draw on those experiences when they are alone on the street.

“I’ve been inspired by the way our recruits have optimized their opportunities to get to really know the people they serve and have used their internships to be more informed, compassionate, and effective as police officers.

“And because they interface with a range of governmental and human services systems, they not only know how to navigate those systems, but develop personal contacts who enable more effective problem solving.

“We’ve also heard of our recruits sharing what they learned from their internships with their classes at the Academy. And many have stayed involved with their nonprofit on the own time, doing a clothing drive for Vine Maple Place, for instance. One recruit prepped a recent immigrant for his first job interview, then drove him to it.

“As for the nonprofit organizations, they say they feel empowered by having the recruits working for them, because in addition to having the extra help, they are forming relationships with these officers, who in many cases are working in their jurisdiction.”

Keys to CILEP’s Success

The program, which is now in its fourth year and has placed about 50 interning recruits since 2021, has been a great success, in large part because of a number of key factors.

Among these factors is the strong community buy-in and participation in CILEP’s early development, which was both critical to implementation and supportive of its strength. The pre-existing relationships, networks, and mutual trust—from stakeholders as well as in the communities—fostered an environment in which CILEP could succeed. One stakeholder noted that their organization was willing to participate in CILEP because of the KPD’s earlier efforts to connect with them.

Numerous CILEP stakeholders and recruits also identified the commitment and availability of the CILEP point person at the KPD and the critical importance of the department’s high level of responsiveness and proactive communication. KPD personnel, as well as staff at the organizations in which the recruits worked, were readily available to help them, answer questions, and troubleshoot challenges or barriers. The consistent supervision and mentoring of the recruits were also critical to CILEP’s success. Contributions of physical resources such as PD cars and laptops and the willingness of the KPD to solve other problematic resource issues were also cited as a significant strength.

But most important is the continuing support of everybody involved: the KPD, community leaders, nonprofit and civic organizations, and other stakeholders.

Said Assistant Chief Grove, “These groups feel they have a voice through CILEP, as well as a good relationship with their police department. And because this program builds trust with the community, these people from very diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures are more likely to call on us in their time of need and collaborate with us to keep their communities safe. They will help us do our job.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

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