Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
and Anti-Defamation League Launch:

Law Enforcement and Democracy Initiative

"I, as a police officer, must be proactive to deter evil that occurs in our city. 
We should not stand and watch evil doers do what they want.  Be informed!!"

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Region launched the inaugural Law Enforcement and Democracy Initiative on Thursday, August 13th at the new museum. Recruits from the Chicago Police Department and suburban police departments, FBI Chicago Bureau officials and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, among others, participated in interactive workshops led by Museum staff and were taken on a docent-led tour of the Museum’s Karkomi Permanent Exhibition to explore the chronology of the Holocaust with special attention to the role of law enforcement in the Nazi regime.

Themes, including the abuse of authority, stereotyping, hate crimes and ethical choices, were explored in the context of the Holocaust and common threads are drawn to contemporary events. The two-day training program also featured a series of lectures and workshops led by representatives from the ADL and FBI that focused on state law, hate crimes, profiling, collaboration between agencies and the contemporary implications of the lessons of the Holocaust.

“There are many parallels that can be drawn between the ethical decisions faced by law enforcement during the Holocaust and the choices law enforcement professionals are confronted with today,” said Richard S. Hirschhaut, Executive Director, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

The program, a partnership between the Museum and the ADL, aims to teach law enforcement officials the history of the Holocaust, examine the role of police in Nazi Europe and explore the challenges of balancing the rights of people with the protection of society as a whole. Modeled after ADL’s national program offered at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the new Law Enforcement and Democracy Initiative aims to provide law enforcement officials in Illinois and across the Midwest with the training and tools necessary to respond to hate crimes and bias incidents on the job.

View Photographs from the Inaugural program >

RESPONSES FROM PARTICIPANTS >

"To be able to listen to the survivors was excellent.  This experience reminds me to be vigilant about abuses to ensure that they don’t happen or are stopped as soon as possible.  The exhibits are well put together and very informative."

"It was a good experience and I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit.  This experience made me examine myself as a police officer and the importance of my duty."

"This was a great experience for me.  The museum was an excellent host and was very generous with their time and kindness.  Thank you for the warm welcome.  I was very touched by the stories I heard and I feel they will affect me in a positive way as a police officer and a human being."

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