LA Sheriff Lee Baca’s multiple Muslim Outreach programs

Posted on April 12, 2011 by creeping

After Lee Baca defended the notorious Hamas-linked CAIR and criticized hearings on Muslim radicalization, he’s on a bit of a Islam public relations blitz. At least two articles on Baca’s Muslim Community Outreach program are floating in the media now. The first is this article (pdf) in American Police Beat magazine found on the Los Angeles county government website:


What stands out the most initially is that there is no mention of Islamic terrorism or jihad. The program is not described as a tool to help law enforcement prevent terrorism by Muslims, rather the program is for Muslims “to address issues including hate crimes and discrimination facing the Muslim community.” Worse, it is being used to spread Islam by way of mandatory dawah on all new police recruits:

The unit also trains department members about Islam and Muslims, touching on issues such as beliefs and customs. Academy recruits also receive a two-hour class on Muslim cultures and background as part of the cultural awareness training program.

But one taxpayer-funded program for Muslims is not enough for CAIR’s Sheriff Baca:

The new LASD unit, established by Sheriff Lee Baca, has begun a Young Muslim American Leaders Group to engage and educate young Muslim professionals in the Los Angeles Area. The group meets monthly.

A look at the LA Sheriff Department’s website has an entire page dedicated to the program including a picture with Sheriff and “Hijab Girls” as the image is titled (in case it is scrubbed renamed, http://la-sheriff.org/sites/muslimoutreach/Images/Sheriff_Hijab_Girls.gif):

The Muslim Community Affairs Unit is managed by Muslim Sheriff’s Department staff members which consists of a Sergeant, a full time Deputy and five part time Deputies assigned to various patrol and custody divisions.
Since it’s inception, the Muslim Community Affairs unit has grown to include a training program for the Muslim community on law enforcement issues such as hate crimes, domestic violence, gangs and identity theft. A Young Muslim American Leaders Group (YMALG) was also developed with the purpose of engagement and education for the young Muslim professionals in the Los Angeles area. The YMALG meets on a monthly basis to discuss issues that concern the Muslim youth and young professionals. Some of the activities the young Muslim professionals are exposed to include jail tours, recruitment activities, ride along in department helicopters and tours of patrol stations. These programs further embrace the Sheriff’s Department mission of Public Trust Policing.
In addition to training and engaging with the community, the Muslim Community Affairs unit also trains department members about Islam and Muslims along with their culture, customs, and beliefs to facilitate our Core Values. The recruits at the academy also receive a two hour class on Muslim cultures and background as part of the cultural awareness training program.
The Muslim Community Affairs unit and the staff serve as the liaison point of contact for the department as well as the Muslim community in general. For more information please contact Sergeant Mike Abdeen at (323) 243-9762 or Deputy Sherif Morsi at (323) 980-2291.
Some of the functions the unit performs include:
- Conduct training for Law Enforcement officers about Islam, Muslims, and Arabs
- Host monthly Young Muslim American Leaders Group Meeting
- Make presentations at local Islamic Centers and Schools
- Attend Islamic Center and School functions and events
- Conduct tours of Sheriff facilities
- Liaison with the Muslim and Arab community and Law Enforcement agencies
- Coordinate community participation in various programs to encourage civic engangement

Clearly terrorism has its benefits.
The second item is in taxpayer funded Voice of America, Los Angeles Deputies Work with Muslim Community, who clearly toes the apologist line beginning it’s propaganda piece with this:

At a time when some Americans fear the radicalization of Muslims in the United States, and others, a growing anti-Muslim sentiment, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says it has the solution to fighting home grown terrorism and creating peace among Muslim and non-Muslims.

It goes on in a similar vain:

Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca started the Muslim Community Affairs Unit.  He says the idea of public trust policing works at all levels of law enforcement.
“In the last 10 attacks that were solved by agencies in the federal government, FBI, seven of those last 10 involve Muslims being part of the information flow that brought forth and reveal those particular plots,” Baca said.

While Baca doesn’t provide details on “Muslims being part of the information flow,” the primary fallacy in this notion is that Baca’s partners at CAIR and many Muslims have cried entrapment in cases where Muslims have participated. If not ostracized Muslims for aiding the FBI going so far as calling for a ban on assisting the FBI.

Deputy Morsi says there is one major factor to radicalization. “I think the biggest thing is alienation, always feeling alienated and always considered as a suspect. I think that’s one of the major facts that plays in a radical’s mind,” Morsi said.
Jihad Turk says anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. helps to create a breeding ground for extremism. “If the Muslim community is perceived to be targeted, the youth from that community then is ostracized by the rest of society, might turn to extreme violence as a way to push back against that,” Turk said.
Turk says the Muslim community needs to integrate itself into society and the public needs to know that extremists in the U.S. are not limited to self-proclaimed Muslims.
To help fight Islamic radicalization and anti-Muslim sentiment, law enforcement agencies across the country are using the Muslim Community Affairs Unit’s training video.  The hope is that more understanding of the Muslim culture will lead to respect and trust from both sides so police and Muslims can be partners in fighting crime.

Expect this type of “outreach” to and for Muslims at taxpayer expense to creep into police departments across the U.S. where Islamic indoctrination and whitewashing of Islamic jihad and sharia law will be the norm.
Considering Lee Baca’s strong defense of terror-linked CAIR, one has to wonder if CAIR had a role developing or providing the training materials and what exactly Lee Baca is getting in return for his support.