Arab American Family Services is proud to take part in police department trainings that seek to educate law enforcements officials on the signs of domestic violence. These trainings, held by domestic violence advocates of AAFS are mainly informational.
Unfortunately, domestic violence is does exist in the Arab and Muslim community. Despite it being a taboo topic of discussion, one cannot go on pretending the issues does not exist. With these trainings to our local police departments, we hope that raising the issue of awareness will become more common.
Recently, AAFS spoke before the Lockport and Worth Police Departments. We informed attendees about AAFS’s programs, including the ability to serve as translators, in the event that the victim is not proficient in the English language. We also taught them how to recognize the signs of domestic violence, in the event that the victim is too scared to come right out and inform the officers of what happened.
Aside from informing officers of Arab culture, we were fortunate enough to learn about police procedure and conduct. This was an eye opener for our presenters who were able to get a broader look on how police situations work, and the steps that are taken to protect the victim.
The training, which is broken up into four sections, gives the department a chance to see and learn more about how they can deal with Arab American clients. By the time the four sessions are over, the entire department, including sergeants and chiefs, as well as all officers, are informed.
AAFS will be given a training to the Mokena Police Department next.
If your police department would like to take part in a training, please give us a call at (708) 599-2237.
AAFS has a 24-hour crisis hotline. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please do not hesitate to call (708) 945-7600.
(708) 599-2237
