Recognizing The Joint Community Police Project In Minnesota -- Hon. Keith Ellison

Floor Speech

* Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Joint Community Police Project (JCPP), an initiative of the Hopkins, Richfield, Brooklyn Park, and Brooklyn Center Police Forces in Hennepin County, Minnesota, for being selected by the International Association of Chief's of Police (IACP) as the winner of the 2009 Civil Rights Award.

* The IACP is made up of over 20,000 law enforcement members at command level in 89+ countries. This is the first time the JCPP has received programming recognition from the International Association of Chief's of Police.

* These four aforementioned cities live the value of civil rights through the actions of the Joint Community Policing Project--which strives to enhance communication and understanding between police and multicultural residents to improve public safety and livability in the community.

* I invite all the members of Congress to join me in recognizing the excellent work of these four fine Minnesota police forces of Hopkins, Richfield, Brooklyn Center, and Brooklyn Park for reaching out to new Americans within our cities and providing the services, hospitality, and valued information to make them welcome, active participants in our community.

* In 2009, I proposed and Congress approved a $100,000 appropriation to continue the work of the Joint Community Police Partnership. One example of their work can be seen in Hopkins, where some of the appropriated funds enabled JCPP to hire a Somali college student to work as Public Service Officer for the Hopkins Police Department. Already they are witnessing a powerful positive reaction by the young immigrant children when the youth see this young man in a Hopkins Police Department uniform at the schools and in their apartment complexes. In addition, funds from this appropriation are being used to bring in successful Somali women from the community to speak to the school club, to mentor them in making positive choices, help build their self esteem, and counsel them to avoid involvement in gangs.

* In closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to extend my personal congratulations to the Joint Community Police Partnership for being a model of excellence both in our country and abroad.

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