Press Release – Kevin Burke LGBT Liaison Program Development Grant Awarded

June 13, 2022 (Santa Rosa, CA). Today the Out to Protect Board of Directors announced the award of a grant to Keene State College in New Hampshire. The Department of Campus Safety will receive funding from Out to Protect to develop an LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaison Program.

Campus Safety Officer Ian Matheson said, “The Community Liaison Program has been created to address the concerns of not just the LGBTQ+ community on campus, but also the Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Latin/Hispanic, and other traditionally underserved communities that live work and study on our campus grounds. The primary goals of this program are to increase public safety educational services to the aforementioned community members and interact with the various community groups, such as KSC Pride (LGBTQ student group)… ”

LGBT Law Enforcement Community Liaisons programs have proven to be highly successful in building a trustworthy relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community it serves. Out to Protect president and CEO Greg Miraglia said, “Today, law enforcement’s need to build trust with the community has never been greater. LGBT Liaisons put a human face on law enforcement and give voice to the community. These program build trust and increase the legitimacy of the law enforcement agency.”

Out to Protect not only provides grant funding to support progressive law enforcement agencies in creating LGBT Liaison programs, but also offers the only comprehensive online LGBT Liaison Academy training program in the nation.  This program includes three classes which are all certified by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. This program is available to all law enforcement agencies in the nation. Learn more at outtoprotect.org/lgbt-law-enforcement-liaison-academy/.  Recipients of the Kevin Burke LGBT Liaison Program Development Grant receive 5 free seats in this academy training program.

The Board of Directors congratulates Officer Matheson and Keene State College on their commitment to community policing and support for the LGBTQ+ community.