According to the 2000 United States Census, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area experienced a 400 percent growth in immigration during the past 10 years. The largest international population in this area is the Hispanic community. The CMPD, like police departments around the country, has struggled with how to provide effective police services to the rapidly expanding Hispanic community. In November 2000, the International Relations Unit was founded within the CMPD as a resource unit to assist in the effort to improve the quality of life, reduce crime, and build mutual trust and respect with members of the international community. Following the introduction, this manual presents the mission statement and priorities of the CMPD and the International Relations Unit. Priorities include finding solutions to the major challenges inherent in policing an international population and participating in community events that directly affect the international community. The next section discusses immigration trends in North Carolina and the United States and describes the sizeable increase in the Hispanic population in the United States. According to 2000 United States Census figures, North Carolina’s Hispanic population increased at a rate of 400 percent between 1990 and 2000. The challenges associated with policing such a large influx of immigrants is discussed in the following section. The main challenges are associated with the rapid immigration growth, language barriers, and cultural differences with regard to views on domestic violence and medical care. The isolation of the international community exacerbates these problems. The next section describes the evaluation process undertaken by the International Relations Unit to assess the needs and challenges of providing effective police services to the international community. The S.A.R.A. problem-solving model is described and key questions for law enforcement are enumerated. The development of the International Relations Unit is described, followed by a discussion of the core initiatives developed by the Unit. Initiatives focus on the language barrier, the development of partnerships with other community institutions, educational outreach efforts, and problem-solving strategies designed to reduce victimization among the international community. While many of these initiatives have shown success, the CMPD will continue to find ways to more effectively provide police services to its international community. References, appendix