Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Primary Major
Social Justice
Second Major
Criminal Justice
Primary Minor
Latino Studies
Thesis Advisor
Emily Wu, PhD
Community Partner(s)
San Rafael Police- Community Police Academy
Abstract
This research examines the effectiveness of a Citizen Police Academy in engaging. Latino residents in the San Rafael area where there is a high population of Hispanic residents. My research uses an IRB-approved survey that was originally developed for a social justice course and later adapted to assess community perspectives on police outreach efforts. The survey consists of open-ended questions designed to capture Latino participants’ experiences with the academy, and opportunities for improvement. Citizen Police Academies are commonly used by law enforcement agencies as outreach tools to increase transparency, explain police procedures, and build trust between police and community members. These programs are particularly important for people of color, in my case mainly the Latino communities, who may face language barriers, and fear of the law enforcement, or distrust formed by experiences. From a criminology perspective, this research contributes to evidence-based community policing by showing participant-driven feedback on how such programs work in practice. By centering Latino voices, the study plans to identify ways Citizen Police Academies can be improved to better meet community needs, strengthen relationships between police and residents, and promote valuable participation in diverse small cities.
Included in
Law and Race Commons, Law and Society Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Work Commons
Comments
This is an 11-minute recorded presentation of my Dominican Scholarly Conference project, “Building Trust Through Community Police Academy.” In the video, I discuss my research on the Spanish-language Community Police Academy in San Rafael and its influence on trust, communication, and relationships between Latino community members and law enforcement. I describe my research question, methods, insights from interviews and evaluations, and the main themes that emerged, such as fear, language barriers, and shifts in perception after participating in the academy. I also offer recommendations for improving outreach, communication, and engagement with the community in policing.