Law Enforcement Partnership Program Moving Forward Washington, DC— Over 5,000 local, state, and federal law enforcement officials have now been trained through SMART’s Sikhism 101 for Law Enforcement training under the organization’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program (LEPP). These trainings build better relationships between law enforcement and local Sikh American communities through awareness of practices and protocol. This summer, the training program has been presented in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Washington, and Texas. SMART President Manjit Singh said, “Many Sikh Americans are traveling and others work in highly visible public positions such as cab drivers, convenience store workers and gas station operators. With the financial support of the Sikh American community, we can continue expanding this program and to accurately inform first-responders about our faith and practices.” The interactive program includes a 25-slide PowerPoint presentation, videos, and visual aids of Sikh articles of faith. More than a dozen such seminars have been organized around the country with SMART staff and volunteers since last summer when SMART concluded a nationwide, six-city partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS). Over 95 percent of law enforcement agents who have attending the training, have indicated that the training they receive from SMART will help them better serve and protect their communities. SMART, the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization, has presented this program to over 100 agencies including: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents; Department of Transportation Security Administration personnel; representatives of U.S. Attorney’s offices; federal counter-terrorism task force officials, and local law enforcement officials, including the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department and the New York Police Department. Following the flurry of post-9/11 hate crimes that affected the Sikh American community, SMART has also created a special publication. This pocket reference card provides law enforcement officials recommended protocols for the appropriate handling of the Sikh turban and kirpan.
