Motorola Solutions Foundation sponsors new community-police relations institute, gives $3.95 million in public safety grants

Institute will implement recommendations from White House task force on 21^st century policing
 

• The Motorola Solutions Foundation will help launch a program focused on community-police relations along  with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
• The foundation also announced it will grant $3.95 million to 90 organizations dedicated to improving public safety in communities in the United States and Canada
• More than 675,000 first responders and citizens will benefit from the non-profit organizations’ programming

 
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Oct. 22, 2015 – The Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, announced today that it will help launch a program focused on community-police relations as a founding sponsor.
 
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), based in Alexandria, Va., will lead the Institute for Community-Police Relations, which will help drive the implementation of recommendations set forth in the recently published 2015 White House Task Force Report on 21^st Century Policing.
 
The institute will take the task force’s recommendations and provide educational materials for local law enforcement agencies across the country. It will also provide on-site training for police forces, facilitate citizen-police dialogue to improve trust and develop a national mentoring program among chiefs of police.
 
“Building and maintaining community trust is the cornerstone of successful policing,” said IACP’s President, University of Central Florida Police Chief Richard Beary. “The generous backing provided by Motorola Solutions Foundation will enable the Institute for Community-Police Relations to provide support to state, local and tribal law enforcement and address the issues identified by the task force and IACP’s National Policy Summit on Community-Police Relations: Creating a Culture of Cohesion and Collaboration.”
 
The Motorola Solutions Foundation is also granting $3.95 million to 90 non-profit organizations to help improve safety and security in communities across the United States and Canada, as well as honor the families of fallen first responders and help bolster public safety education. More than 675,000 first responders and community members will benefit from the programs funded through the competitive review process.
 
“At a time when public safety is at the forefront of so many people’s minds in cities around the world, we are proud to support programs that aim to improve safety and security in our communities,” said Matt Blakely, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation.
 
Here are a few examples of the impact the public safety grants awarded last year have had so far:
 

• ​The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provided training to law enforcement agencies on model policies and best practices to respond to missing children cases. Last year, NCMEC partnered with IACP to reach its largest audience ever of 14,000 public safety professionals.
• The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation provided scholarship assistance to 78 family members of fallen firefighters for education and job training costs.
• The Chicago Police Memorial Foundation delivered police suicide prevention and stress management seminars to 300 command personnel and supervisors.
• The Texas Game Warden Underwater Search and Recovery (SAR) Team used grant funds to train game wardens on safe and effective water rescues and to provide them with equipment. This year, historic flooding endangered the lives of many Texans and the resources helped game wardens save lives with no officer injuries.
• The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) partnered with police executives from across the country to research, discuss and publish findings on critical issues in policing.
• The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars provided scholarships to about 300 students with a career interest in public safety and criminal justice.
• The American Red Cross of South Florida educated low-income neighborhoods about the importance of fire safety through presentations and installation of smoke detectors.
• The Fisher House Foundation provided lodging to families of service members and veterans receiving care at a military or Veterans Affairs medical center and supported the construction of 10 new Fisher Houses.

 
See the full list of grant recipients at http://www.motorolasolutions.com/responsibility
 
About Motorola Solutions Foundation
The Motorola Solutions Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions. With employees located around the globe, Motorola Solutions seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships and fostering innovation. The Motorola Solutions Foundation focuses its funding on public safety, disaster relief, employee programs and education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information on Motorola Solutions Corporate and Foundation giving, visit our website: www.motorolasolutions.com/giving.

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