Columbia Police Department announces department LGBT Liasion

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

Today, the Columbia Police Department is excited to announce Officer Clint Sinclair as the department's first LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Liaison.

The City of Columbia and the Columbia Police Department are committed to ensuring all members of the community feel comfortable contacting us for assistance, and have access to all the services we provide. The creation of the LGBT Liaison position is a proactive effort to bridge any gaps that may exist between our department and the LGBT community.

"The City of Columbia has a large LGBT community. For law enforcement, this group presents new and unique challenges, which many officers may not understand how to address and resolve," says Officer Sinclair, "The creation of a LGBT Liaison will provide a point of contact for both members of the community and officers who interact with this population on a regular basis."

Serving as the new LGBT Liaison will be additional duties to Officer Sinclair's regular workload. Officer Sinclair says the position "is not intended to imply he's the only officer that will handle LGBT-related calls for service." Though he may assist in some of these calls, he emphasizes his goal is to "create a mutual trust between any Columbia Police officer and the LGBT community." His duties will include:

• Assisting, advising, and consulting other officers on cases involving LGBT issues,
• Provide training for members of the department on LGBT topics,
• Meet with business owners, community groups, and individuals of the LGBT community and present information on relevant law enforcement issues,
• Attend events in the LGBT community as a representative of the Columbia Police Department,
• Identify and attend training related to LGBT topics,
• Facilitate an overall open relationship between the LGBT community and the Columbia Police Department.

"On behalf of the Columbia Police Department, we support Officer Sinclair's efforts to make our department and City more inclusive in serving the needs and concerns of all members of our community, "says Chief Ken Burton, "His position as a Liaison to the LGBT provides us an opportunity to strengthen communication with the public we serve."

Officer Sinclair has been with the Columbia Police Department for six years and currently works in the DWI Unit. If you are an LGBT-related organization that is willing to provide a service, act as a resource, or are interested in having Officer Sinclair attend your meeting, you can contact him at [email protected].