Approximately 60,000 law enforcement officers in California now have access to cultural awareness training materials on Sikh Americans as a result of collaboration between the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and SALDEF. SALDEF worked to add On Common Ground, a first- of-its- kind training video on Sikh American cultural awareness for law enforcement, to the POST online Learning Portal, giving access to law enforcement officers across California. On Common Ground, part of the SALDEF Law Enforcement Partnership Program, provides law enforcement with an overview of Sikh American cultural practices, describes their articles of faith, explores common misconceptions, and presents strategies and best practices to use in non-emergency situations when interacting with community members. “I am proud of our unending determination to provide the best possible cultural awareness resources to the dedicated law enforcement officers across California,” said POST Senior Consultant Robert “R.C.” Smith. “Our partnership with SALDEF has allowed us to offer a unique and informative online resource which will equip our officers with much needed tools to serve to strengthen our partnership with the Sikh American community.” Established in 1959, POST sets minimum selection and training standards for California law enforcement. The more than 600 participating agencies now have easy access to this educational tool to ensure their officers understand Sikh culture and how to better interact with the Sikh American community. “We are pleased to partner with POST as they continue to provide diverse resources and best practices for California’s law enforcement community,” said SALDEF Board Member Kavneet Singh. “Cultural awareness training breaks down barriers of communication, leads to better policing, and creates a stronger relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. This is especially important in California as it has both the oldest and largest Sikh population in the country.” SALDEF would like to offer special thanks to “R.C.” Smith for his leadership and partnership in this initiative and hopes that this collaboration serves as a model showing the need for and benefit of collaboration between law enforcement and the Sikh American community. If you would like to work with your local law enforcement department on a similar initiative, please contact SALDEF. Further information on the SALDEF program can be found at http://saldef.wpengine.com/program-areas/education/lepp/.
