Community Outreach

Community Outreach

Detroit, like each of the FBI’s local field offices, has a community outreach program that complements and strengthens our many efforts to protect you, your businesses, and your families in concrete ways through a range of activities and initiatives.

Our recent activities include:

• In November 2009, we hosted our first awards banquet with the Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT). Co-chaired by Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena, ALPACT is a southeastern Michigan organization consisting of executives from law enforcement, advocacy, civil rights, and community groups dedicated to addressing issues that impact police and community relations. The keynote speaker and national honoree was U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Special awards were presented to recognize individuals whose service to the community was exemplary. Fallen Special Agent Paul Sorce, who gave his life in the line of duty, was honored, and awards were presented to Reverend Wendall Anthony—President of the NAACP Detroit Branch—and Barrie Schwartz, a young activist who has advanced social justice work with the Anti-Defamation League.
• During 2009, our Citizens’ Academy graduated 51 citizens from the Detroit area. Twenty-seven more are scheduled to graduate from our spring 2010 session.
• In the fall of 2009, we represented the FBI by attending the Armenian Festival in Southfield, Michigan. Thousands gathered for this 40-year-old weekend festival to celebrate the Armenian faith and culture. Special Agent in Charge Arena, Community Outreach Specialist Rhonda Kennedy, and representatives from the applicant and language unit set up an FBI booth, provided information about the Citizens’ Academy and the junior special agent and applicant/recruitment programs, and distributed recruitment and community outreach trinkets and fingerprint kits. More than 1,000 people visited our booth, which received positive reviews.
• “Batting for Kids” is a baseball challenge that affords youth the opportunity to showcase their baseball skills, learn new ones, and interact with mentors from various community and law enforcement agencies. We participate each July in this event, which is attended by more than 350 young people. About 120 division personnel have volunteered to assist as mentors or to help with administration or security. This event is highly publicized and well received by the youth. Special Agent in Charge Arena attended last year’s event and threw the ceremonial first pitch.
• We hosted our second Youth Academy Program. Youth academy graduates from the previous year also attended and plan to form an alumni association. To date, 24 young people actively participate in the program.

Among our other ongoing efforts:

• Attending town hall assemblies and meeting with minority groups and civic organizations to address key issues affecting a particular community;
• Supporting the graduates of our Citizens’ Academies, who have joined the Alumni Association with the hopes of continuing positive dialogue and establishing other outreach initiatives to benefit our communities;
• Serving on committees and boards for businesses, schools, and community organizations; and
• Sponsoring Adopt-A-School programs, including the Junior Special Agent program, which places volunteers from the division inside classrooms to give students an inside look at today’s FBI.

Visit our national In Your Community website for more information about our overall outreach efforts and our work in other local FBI offices.