I am Muslim and I am a Deputy Sheriff. I am proud to be both.

The Muslim community is no different than any othercommunity we serve. They have needs and concerns aboutcrime in their neighborhoods and the well being of theiryouth. But above all, they did not trust law enforcement.Trust had eroded after the tragic loss of life due to the attackson September 11, 2001.From that day on, the Muslim community became thefocus of investigations, arrests and surveillances of theirMosques. Meanwhile, many Muslims became victims of hatecrimes and hate incidents.Fear became the norm. Women were afraid to go outin public and Muslims were worried about being stoppedon their way to, or when leaving, prayer services. Like anymembers of the public, when community members fear lawenforcement and do not feel as equally protected as othermembers of society, then trust, support, and cooperation arelost. We all know well that without the support and trust ofthe community, our job will be less efficient and a whole lottougher. In fact, trust is one of the key differences betweencivil societies and third world countries.We All Want FreedomExperience in the last couple of years working as a liaisonwith the Muslim community has taught me that buildingtrust and partnership with each community is the key tothe success of any outreach effort. Most immigrants, bothMuslims and non-Muslims, come to America looking fora second chance, an opportunity to succeed, but above allfreedom. Freedom is something often taken for granted herein America, but for sure it is something many did not enjoyin their native countries. Therefore, most Muslim-Americansdo not take it for granted.Sergeant Mike Abdeen and Deputy Sherif Morsi speaking ata town hall meeting.Sheriff Lee Baca is greeted by members of the Muslimcommunity before a town hall meeting at an Islamic Centerin Los Angeles County.Reaching OutThe Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department / MuslimCommunity Affairs Unit (LASD/MCA) developed anoutreach program that is being modeled by other agencies onlocal, state and federal levels. The outreach program includesa Young Muslim-American Leaders Group program. This isan educational program that is designed for young Muslimprofessionals and college students aged 18-30 years old. Thegroup meets on a monthly basis to learn about law enforcementfunctions and gives suggestions for improvements tocommunicating with the Muslim community.Sheriff Baca meets with the Muslim community at leastquarterly, in a Town Hall setting where he addresses thecommunity’s concerns, and answers any questions they mighthave. The Sheriff’s Town Hall meetings are held at Mosques,Islamic centers or community halls where he enjoys sharingan ethnic meal with local Muslims.Deputies from the Muslim Community Affairs Unit, andfrom throughout the Department regularly attend events, celebrationsand Eid* holidays with Muslim community members.Reaching InSheriff’s Department and police recruits attend a two-hourtraining program (Islam 101) at the Academy before theygraduate. They learn about the culture of Islam, terminology,and the basic etiquette on how to interact with Muslims inthe community or when entering a Mosque. Reaching in isas challenging as reaching out. Most law enforcement officersare not exactly excited about the idea of outreach to theMuslim community. This is usually due to a lack of understandingand misinformation about the Muslim culture.We Need To TalkIt is equally important for the program’s success that wereach out to other law enforcement agencies so as to avoidduplication of effort as well as sharing the experience ofoutreach. An outreach coordinators group was developed56 H Sheriff ® President’s Issue/Conference Issue 2010

Glossary of Terms:Islam- The religion and the faith Muslims follow andpracticeMuslims- The followers and the believers of IslamMohammad- the name of the prophet, and God’s messengerwho started Islam when contacted by God through theangel Gabriel.Quran- The holy book for MuslimsHijab- head cover worn by Muslim women as a sign ofmodestyMasjid- place of worship for Muslims also known as MosqueImam- The person leading the prayer in the MosqueInshallah- God willing in ArabicEid- A religious holiday celebrated by Muslims at the end ofRamadan and at the end of the pilgrimage to MeccaEid Mubarak- The proper greeting to Muslims during theholiday, it means”blessed holiday”Arabic- The official language of the QuranArabs- Natives of Arab countries, there are 22 Arab countriesin the Middle East and North Africaby the LASD/MCA to include representatives of other local,state and federal agencies. These include the Department ofHomeland Security (DHS) Office of Civil Rights and CivilLiberties, Transportation Security Administration (TSA),United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)and the City of Los Angeles Office of Human Relations andCommunity Development. The outreach coordinators groupmeets bi-monthly to discuss outreach efforts and to plan mutualactivities with the Muslim community, such as inter-agencyTown Hall meetings and round table discussions.Relationships Make The DifferenceRelationships take time to develop and strengthen. It hasto be sincere and genuine, but once established, the benefitsare countless. If you want the phone to ring from the communityyou have to be there when they need you. Sometimes theanswer is, ”No, I can’t help with this one.”Diversity and Los Angeles CountyAt least 62 different languages are spoken by the culturallydiverse sheriff’s deputies, civilians and volunteers of the LosAngeles County Sheriff’s Department, reflecting the diversityof the county. One out of three of the 10.5 millionpeople who live in Los Angeles County were born outsidethe United States, and over 50% of the households speak alanguage other than English.The Muslim Community Affairs Unit will be making apresentation at the National Sheriffs Association WinterConference in Palm Desert, California, January 5-8, 2011.To read more about Muslim Outreach and the MuslimCommunity Affairs Unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’sDepartment, visit www.lasd.org and see the next edition ofthe National Sheriffs Association Deputy and Court Officermagazine.Yet it is also good to know that when we need somethingfrom the community we know who to call andwhere to possibly find what we need. It’s important toremember that it has to be a two way street. As with mostthings in life, anything worthwhile is rarely easy. JMike Abdeen is a Sergeant and 19 year veteran of the Los AngelesCounty Sheriff’s Department. With Sheriff Lee Baca, he established theMuslim Community Affairs Unit, the first of its kind in the nation,with the objective of building a meaningful relationship with theMuslim Community in Los Angeles County. For more information onthe LASD/MCA unit visit www.lasd.org, www.lasd.org/sites/muslimoutreachor email Muslimoutreach@lasd.org.Sheriff ® President’s Issue/Conference Issue 2010 H 57