Letter to the Editor: SAC Laughlin’s Op-Ed to The Seattle Times

An abbreviated version of the following letter appeared on The Seattle Times’ website on September 19, 2011.

To all residents of Washington,

The recent article “FBI’s community outreach ends up offending Muslims,” by Emily Heffter, cited concerns about the FBI’s recent outreach efforts with the Muslim community.  As the special agent in charge of the Seattle Division, let me assure those who attended last weekend’s workshop, as well as the public, that the FBI values its relationship with the community and felt that important dialogue took place that day.

On September 10, members of Seattle’s law enforcement community met with members of the Muslim, Sikh, Arab, and East African communities to speak to them on topics that leaders in those communities selected. The response to the FBI’s presentation by a vast majority of the audience was positive. The favorable comments by many present included appreciation for previous FBI community outreach events and requests for similar workshops with specific ethnic communities.

The FBI understands the importance of having strong relationships with ethnic communities and invests significant time and energy in developing and maintaining those relationships. Even before the September 10 workshop, members of the FBI’s Seattle office had personally met with a majority of attendees—such as having accepted invitations to community group meetings, sharing an Iftar meal to break fast during Ramadan, and hosting them in our Citizens’ Academy.

The law enforcement community cannot do its job effectively without a strong partnership with the community.  Misrepresenting this past weekend’s workshop does not serve the needs of the Seattle community, and such inaccurate reporting breeds misunderstanding and distrust. It is regrettable that The Seattle Times failed to contact our public affairs office to seek official comment prior to the article’s publication. I believe our community deserves a more accurate understanding of an agency sworn to protect them.

Laura M. Laughlin

Special Agent in Charge

FBI – Seattle Division