Community Relations Service
US Federal agency
The Community Relations Service (CRS) was part of the United States Department of Justice. The office was intended to act as a peacemaker "for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and disability". It was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and its mission was broadened by the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed in 2009. Originally under the Department of Commerce, it was moved to the Department of Justice by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
It was "the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony" by employing conciliators.
The most recent director was Paul Monteiro, who was appointed by the Biden administration and sworn in on May 26, 2022. He resigned in April 2023.
In April 2025 the second Trump administration considered closing the Service. On September 30, 2025, it was shut down.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Community Relations Service”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Simplified Version of the Seal of the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service.svg by U.S. government, Public domain
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