Yet Arab-Americans are not necessarily hostile to the idea of greater community intervention, provided it is done to enhance community life, and not done to profile all Arab-American residents as terrorists. In fact, in the city of Chicago, there have been calls for greater police intervention in Arab-American communities by parents and local leaders, to reduce the threat of violent crime. Nizar Hasan, president of the Arab-American Police Association, believes Arab-American youth are increasingly falling into negative criminal behaviors. "It's getting worse…Some of these kids first try [drugs], get hooked, want more and look for ways to make money to support their habit, which means criminal activity" (Bohn & Schott 2009). However because Chicago, like many cities, does not track crime rates amongst Arab-Americans they are not labeled as 'minorities' -- "according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, persons from the Middle East and North Africa, like those of European descent, are classified as white" (Bohn & Schott 2009). Until recently, the city did not have a program in place, like it did for blacks and Latinos, to encourage adolescents to avoid drugs and lead a crime-free lifestyle.
Arab-Americans thus may be in a double bind -- they lack supportive programs to enhance community-relations, unlike officially classified minorities, but are still profiled by law enforcement as potential terrorists. Hasan, in his role as an officer in the city of Chicago, has attempted to address this deficit by planning police-driven outreach efforts in the community, specifically targeted at young people. "He stresses there is a continuing need for positive Arab-American role models. 'We need more mentors…Many of the parents aren't involved in their children's lives. These kids, like many others, need to stay busy whether it's with sports or community involvement'" (Bohn & Schott 2009).
Hasan, despite the lack of power Arab-Americans frequently have within local law...
This illustrates the importance of having a diverse police force, and also the importance of organizational power in accomplishing goals that are desired by both Arab-Americans and law enforcement. The Arab-American Police Association outreach was community specific, yet did not involve profiling, and was positive and preventative in intent, rather than punitive and punishing. Of course, protective strategies are often necessary in the context of law enforcement. But promoting positive programs like Hasan's Chicago seminar "Staying Gang and Drug-Free" for Arab youth, ages 10 to 15, is perhaps the most powerful way to reduce divisiveness and community-police acrimony in the long-term. These programs are also strongly supported by Arab-American parents, given their concern for their children's future.
Although the Chicago outreach program for Arab youths is not specifically an anti-terrorist, post-9/11 program, it addresses many issues critical to improving homeland security. It increases the sense of integration Arab-Americans feel within the American fabric of society, thus circumventing radicalism. It shows that Arab-Americans are proudly serving in the police forces of the nation. It satisfies both the needs and the motivation of the Arab-American community, the Chicago Police's crime prevention efforts, and the larger goals of the nation.
References
Bohn, Lauren E. & Paul Schott. (2009, November 17). Blight of street crime creeping into Arab-
American community. Merrill reports. Northwestern University. Retrieved October 19,
2010 at http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=147319
Elliott, Andrea. (2006, June 13). After 9/11 Arab-Americans fear police, study finds. New York
Times. Retrieved October 19, 2010 at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/us/12arabs.html
