Cultural Sensitivity Tips for New Cops

Eight new officers arrived in the last week. Although each officer has had about two years on the job already, Captain Jack Lewis wasted no time in introducing the newbies to the Brooklyn South precinct.

"You're new to us," he said. "We're going to indoctrinate you into our way of thinking."

And one of the ways to do that involved sitting through some lessons from Maha Attieh of the on Court Street and some stories from .

"Some in the Arab-speaking world have a great distrust of the police," Lewis said.

Attieh talked about cultural sensitivity toward Arab-Americans, and gave some pointers on how to approach that community.

"If a woman is wearing a hijab no man is allowed to touch her," she said. "She is not resisting arrest."

Attieh added that her job was to educate both groups.

"I am trying to build a bridge between the NYPD and the community," she said, adding she is "so thankful" she was asked by Captain Lewis to be involved.

Attieh also addressed domestic abuse.

"She will never report it, he provides for her, where is she going to go?" she said.

But Lewis added that if someone is breaking the law, it is the police's responsibility to make an arrest.

"We have to be aware that this is what goes on in this culture," he said. "But it's against the law in our culture so we have to make arrests when we can."

Assemblywoman Joan Millman introduced herself next, and told the story of when she was arrested in 2003 with the actor Steve Buscemi among others when protesting a Degraw Street fire station closure. 

"I'm never going to do it again," she said, adding "It's an experience i'm kind of glad I had."

New Police Officers:

Valentin Khazin

Brett Healy

Desmond Mohan

Juan Soto

Juan Flores

Alexandra Lang

Bradley Tirol

Thomas Rodriguez