Overview of National Community Policing Week

President Obama designated the week of Oct. 2–8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week. The week was an extension of the Attorney General’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlighted collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens. 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 Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

“Strengthening the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities we serve and protect is one of my top priorities,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. The COPS Office supported Attorney General Lynch in the following activities during National Community Policing Week:

Monday, October 3, 2016

  • COPS Director Ronald L. Davis honored the community of Arlington, Texas, by presenting the 2016 L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award  to Lt. Tarrick McGuire of the Arlington Police Department and Principal Inelda Acosta of the Arlington Independent School District on October 3.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

  • Attorney General Lynch joined Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson at a National Night Out event at the University of North Texas at Dallas. 

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

  • Attorney General Lynch held a town hall on diversity in law enforcement hosted by Howard University. The discussion was part of the Engaging College Students in 21st Century Law Enforcement Project that resulted from a grant provided by the COPS Office to explore strategies that encourage recruitment among diverse millennials for law enforcement positions.
  • In support of National Community Policing Week, the COPS Office is releasing publications ranging from discussion guides that spur community engagements to summaries of law enforcement executives’ conversations regarding the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

  • Attorney General Lynch delivered remarks at the inaugural Attorney General’s Awards for Distinguished Service in Community Policing, along with Director Davis of the COPS Office. The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing recognizes individual state, local, or tribal sworn police officers and deputies who exemplify remarkable achievements in innovative community policing strategies, criminal investigations, and field operations.
  • Attorney General Lynch announced $12 million in funding by the COPS Office in categories that support the implementation of recommendations from the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, including the Microgrant Initiative for Law Enforcement, Critical Response Technical Assistance, Community Policing Emerging Issues Forums, Community Policing Training Projects, Law Enforcement–Led 21st Century Policing Demonstration Projects, 21st Century Policing, and Implementation Projects. A full list of awardees is available in the Grants & Funding section of the COPS Office website.

Friday, October 7, 2016

  • The DOJ designated Friday, October 7 as National Coffee with a Cop Day. Held at the same McDonald’s where it all began five years ago, the Hawthorne Police Department celebrated National Coffee with a Cop Day in a huge way. Five years later, Coffee with a Cop has been held in every state in the country, as well as in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Africa. The concept has grown each year.

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The Woodstock Police Department – Honoring a Local Hero | Overview of National Community Policing Week | Inaugural Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing | Engaging College Students in 21st Century Policing | 2016 L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award - Arlington PD & Arlington Independent SD | Coffee with a Cop: Five Years Later | An Assessment of the San Francisco Police Department | Are you on the Task Force Recommendations Implementation Map? | National Community Policing Week – Publications Release