CAIR's Model Law Enforcement Engagement Policy is as follows:
1. Purpose
a. This policy outlines our position regarding law enforcement community outreach efforts. Islamic tradition and belief require Muslims to be a benefit to
humanity and to prevent harm to humanity. In part, this tradition and belief is expressed by this facility and its leadership believing that it is both a
religious and civic obligation to contribute to crime prevention and public safety efforts.
2. Policy
a. No matter what the state of our relationship with law enforcement is, it is our religious and civic duty to contribute to crime prevention and public
safety efforts in our community.
b. This [masjid, Islamic center, community center] believes strongly in the Constitution and its legal protections. Community outreach with law
enforcement is for the purpose of enhancing mutual understanding, building strong relationships and informing our congregants of the services
provided by law enforcement. Community outreach is not an intelligence collection tool.
c. Each law enforcement agent (LEA) who engages with our facility will be asked to adhere to the following guidelines:
i. When you enter our facility or engage with our leadership or congregants for outreach purposes, you are representing to us that you are not engaged
in intelligence collection.
ii. When you enter our facility, please inform management.
iii. When you enter our facility, please have official business cards available on request.
iv. When you enter our facility or engage with our leadership or congregants for outreach purposes, you are representing to us that you will not create
intelligence files based on your visit. This means that, without the explicit agreement of the individuals concerned, you will not record their demographic
information or their political or religious beliefs or affiliations. You will also not record license plates or anything else of that nature.
v. Any notes and contact information generated from an outreach meeting with this facility should be kept separate from operational and intelligence
databases.
3. As long as the leadership of this facility receives reasonable assurances that the above guidelines will be honored, we will engage in community
outreach programs with law enforcement agents that contribute to crime prevention and public safety.
a. Examples of these programs are citizen's academies, citizen observer programs, town halls and crime-stoppers.
Questions leadership of mosques and other Muslim institutions can and should ask:
1. What is the purpose of doing outreach to this mosque?
2. Are community institutions and houses of worship for other faiths in the area being assigned the same level of outreach? If not, why not?
3. Do you report only to your community outreach department? If not, to what other components of your agency do you report?