A new study by researchers at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, NORC at the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds that LGBTQ liaison officers may play an important role in improving relations between police and LGBTQ communities. However, varying levels of institutional support significantly shape how effectively liaison officers can perform their roles.
Over the past several decades, law enforcement agencies across the United States have established liaison officer roles to strengthen relationships with historically underserved communities, including LGBTQ communities. LGBTQ liaison officers serve as designated points of contact within departments for internal and external stakeholders, working to build trust, improve communication, and enhance responses to LGBTQ victims of crime.
“LGBTQ individuals face elevated levels of violence and harassment compared to non-LGBTQ people—while also experiencing persistent mistreatment by the police,” said study author Jordan Grasso, Research Data Analyst at the Williams Institute. “Consequently, LGBTQ people are more likely to hold negative perceptions of police and are less likely to report being the victim of a crime or request police assistance.”
Researchers interviewed law enforcement officers and victim services providers as part of the Hate Incident Reporting Initiative to Strengthen Engagement project to examine how liaison roles are structured, supported, and experienced by officers, stakeholders, and community members.
Participants identified four key factors shaping liaison officer effectiveness: strong institutional support; direct engagement with LGBTQ victims of crime, particularly those uncomfortable interacting with police; collaborative training involving both officers and community members; and sustained community engagement to strengthen trust and improve outcomes.
“These findings are especially timely given the recent expansion of anti-LGBTQ laws and policies across the U.S.,” said lead author Stefan Vogler, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Many of the barriers liaison officers face are locally specific, and additional research is needed to better understand both context-driven challenges and broader patterns across communities.”