Social Justice

APD Social Justice

Social justice relates to how the police department connects and interacts with all segments of the community. Some of the department’s social justice efforts are programmatic in nature while others drill down to the individual relationship with members of the community. 

Justice can be defined as the administration of law in an impartial and fair manner based upon what is right and wrong. Social justice explores the way law enforcement services are rendered in Arlington and more importantly, how the department builds long-standing relationships with each citizen that we serve. 

This page highlights some of the initiatives and work that the Arlington Police Department completes as it relates to social justice. For more information on how to become involved with these efforts, please contact the Community Support Division at 817-459-5726.

Guidebooks

Department Highlights

The Arlington Police Department was selected by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as one of 15 law enforcement agencies to lead national efforts on best practices in policing. The department submitted its final report on Advancing 21st Century Policing in 2017. 

The U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) in coordination with Not In Our Town (NIOT) published a compelling piece about the way law enforcement services are provided in Arlington, Texas. The publication and video, "Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story," provides a glimpse into our department's handling of a series of tragedies. The video and guidebook serve as a resource for police departments to learn from the Arlington experience, and to provide an overview of community policing initiatives and how the Arlington Police Department institutes procedural justice and trust building in the greater community.

The film Arlington, TX: A Community Policing Story, which runs for 28 minutes, examines the challenges of policing in the 21st century, particularly at a time when the public has been increasingly examining the state of policing in America and effective relationships between law enforcement and communities of color.

Click the cover to read the report

A Community Policing Story

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