(For Immediate Release, Washington, DC) – Earlier this month, The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), partnering with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) created a one of kind cultural awareness training program tailored to the needs of Las Vegas law enforcement. The online training module was released in September 2011. Beginning in January 2011, the LVMPD Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center (SNCTC), the Sikh American community of Clark County, and SALDEF came together to develop a cultural awareness training course to introduce and inform local law enforcement officials about the Sikh American community and their cultural practices. The training was also tailored specifically to the needs of Las Vegas area law enforcement for the likely interactions they may have in the course of their duties. “I am proud of our long standing tradition in providing the best possible cultural awareness training to our organization” said Doug Gillespie, Sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “Our valued collaboration with SALDEF has produced a unique and informative curriculum which will serve to strengthen our partnership with the Sikh American community.” Kavneet Singh, Managing Director, SALDEF: “We are pleased to partner with the LVMPD as they continue to play a leading role in developing best practices for the law enforcement community. 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. We applaud Sheriff Gillespie and Detective Kenneth Mead for their leadership and partnership in this endeavor.” The module is based on the Law Enforcement Partnership Program training program SALDEF developed in conjunction with national law enforcement professionals in 1999. The training program includes “On Common Ground”, a training video developed by SALDEF and the United States Department of Justice. The training program has been used by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement departments, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. ##END##
