U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service Information

The United States Department of Justice Community Relations Service is America's Peacemaker for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin, Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only federal agency dedicated to assisting state and local units of government, private and public organizations, law enforcement, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, disputes, and civil disorders within communities, and in restoring racial stability and harmony. With the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, CRS's mandate expanded to include assisting communities in preventing and responding to alleged violent hate crimes committed on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. CRS helps facilitate the development of viable mutual understandings and agreements as alternatives to coercion, violence, or litigation. It also conducts trainings and helps develop locally-based long-term mechanisms that communities may use to prevent tension and violent hate crimes. CRS Conciliation Specialists are impartial and do not take sides among disputing parties. Rather, CRS aids parties in developing their own mutually-agreeable solutions. All CRS services are provided free of charge to the communities and are confidential. CRS works in all 50 states and the U.S. territories, and in communities large and small, rural, urban and suburban. See: https://www.justice.gov/crs/about-crs