Facilitating community and police relationships

Hennepin County works with cities and residents to address complex issues in their communities.

JCPP liaisons: A bridge between communities and police departments 

Joint Community Police Partnership liaisons are Hennepin County employees who are embedded in police departments. Each liaison tailors programming to their specific community. Liaisons collaborates with Hennepin County, police departments and residents. 

Together with these partners, liaisons: 

• Meet with community members to listen, learn, and build relationships 
• Bring community concerns to the police department 
• Plan and support community engagement events
• Provide training to respond to the needs of the community 
• Educate the community on changes and trends in law enforcement 

Multicultural Advisory Committee: A space for important conversations 

The members of the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) are community leaders who live, work or worship in the community. They meet monthly with their respective city’s JCPP liaison and police department to ensure both the community and the department are aware of concerns, topics and trends. Additionally, several departments have used their MAC to solicit input on complex issues. 

Get involved 

• Be a part of the conversation. Apply to serve as a member on the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC). 
• Share your experiences and ideas with your community liaison or a MAC member. 
• Invite your neighbors, friends, family and others to learn more about JCPP, and about what services their liaison can offer.  

JCPP works with departments to support efforts to diversify police staffing. Participation varies from department to department, but can include:  

• Youth-specific vocational programming
• Hiring and onboarding supports 
• Ongoing training in collaboration with police departments 
• Making connections with residents at community events, such as Night to Unite or National Night Out and Unity in the Community  

Get involved 

• Ask your department about opportunities for youth 
• Attend a community event 
• Introduce yourself to a liaison, a MAC member or a police officer 

JCPP has a role in engaging community members in conversations about changes in police policies and practices, by:  

• Providing information, trainings and public forums to address misperceptions and misconceptions about law enforcement 
• Building trust by creating an environment where relationships and interactions can result in meaningful action
• Addressing current trends and topics that residents or police want to discuss 

Get involved 

• Host a community meeting or Q&A session with a liaison or police officers 

JCPP engages in focused outreach to encourage connections between residents, organizations and police departments, in the spaces that are meaningful to them. Those can include: 

• Facilitating events for youth, families and community groups 
• Increasing police, liaison and MAC presence in the community to seek out and listen to people’s concerns 

Get involved

• Coordinate or volunteer for community programs. 
• Host a community meeting or question-answer session with police officers. 

Click on the links below to learn more about what JCPP looks like in each participating city.

• Bloomington
• Brooklyn Center
• Brooklyn Park
• Crystal
• Edina
• Hopkins
• New Hope
• Richfield
• Robbinsdale

• Talk with neighbors, co-workers and friends about what is going well or not going well in relationships between law enforcement and the community. 
• Think about how much you would like to be involved; your contributions can range from talking with community members to being present at events or participating in the MAC. 
• Contact your community liaison to talk about how you can help.