April 08, 2022
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Conference aims to improve relations between law enforcement and the Hispanic community - KMVT

Topics such as cultural awareness, implicit bias and cultural competency were discussed
A speaker addresses the crowd at the event in Hailey on Friday
A speaker addresses the crowd at the event in Hailey on Friday(KMVT)

HAILEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Southern Idaho law enforcement, the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs, Crisis Hotline Idaho and ProjecToolSuccess joined forces on Friday in order to foster better understanding and relations between law enforcement, first responders and the Hispanic community.

Over 100 participants representing departments ranging from the Bellevue Marshal’s Office to the Boise Police Department gathered in Hailey to discuss topics such as cultural awareness, implicit bias and cultural competency.

The Hailey Police Department helped to organize the event, and their Chief of Police said this conference is vital in the development of officers across the state as they learn tools that help them build relationships with their community.

“You need to make sure you’re addressing those issues and those concerns and making sure they trust law enforcement and other entities, whether they be non-profits or school districts,” said Hailey Police Chief Steve England. “And we want to be at the forefront of it as law enforcement because we believe that’s where the trust starts.”

According to England, roughly one in every five Blaine County residents is of Hispanic descent, which is why his department prioritizes training opportunities like these.

“This is an opportunity for vested stakeholders to open lines of communication between law enforcement/first responders with communities,” said Executive Director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs Margie Gonzalez. “The goal is for participants to take resources from the conference that they can use in their communities.”

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source: https://www.kmvt.com/2022/04/08/conference-aims-improve-relations-between-law-enforcement-hispanic-community/

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