Community Outreach Program, FBI

About the COP

Under the FBI's Community Outreach Program (COP), experienced FBI employees have been assigned to serve as specialists in each of the FBI's 56 Field Offices. Their duties include:
    • establishing a network of resources
    • creating prevention programs, giving speeches, conducting events, etc.; and
    • coordinating the development and growth of community programs with FBI
      Headquarters to improve the quality of life in the communities
      served by the FBI's field offices.
Staff at FBI Headquarters assist the Field in managing their programs, by creating policy, setting goals, providing training opportunities, and responding to resource requests.

In connection with crime, drug, gang, and violence/terrorism prevention activities, the FBI is a partner with several national and local organizations. Examples of successful, long-term relationships are those with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the National Crime Prevention Council, the Shriners' Hospitals, Race Against Drugs, the League of United Latin-American Citizens, and NAACP.

In the last few years, the FBI's COP efforts have expanded to support the spontaneous growth of community outreach programs developed by other FBI employees. These include school-based initiatives, such as the Adopt-A-School Program. This program uses volunteer mentors and tutors to assist at-risk students to improve academically and to help them become better citizens. The FBI has adopted 175 schools nationwide. Another program under COP is the Junior Special Agents (JSA) Program. This program is designed to assist students in improving their self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-control through character strengthening assignments and social skills training.

The FBI's COP places a special emphasis on youth. However, we recognize the interdependency of children, parents, other adults, community groups, businesses, schools, social services and health services. Therefore, coordinators are also serving on committees and boards at local and regional planning meetings for integrated, comprehensive, community-based prevention services for crime, drugs, and violence.

The FBI considers prevention to be an integral part of the law enforcement function, and, as such, we make an important contribution to communities across the country, through 38 FBI Citizens Academies operating within various Field Offices. The Academy is an eight week 10 session program which provides business, community, and religious leaders with a better understanding of the FBI's mission. As we continue to reassess and update our Community Outreach Program, the needs of the American people will affect our future projects and alignments.

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