In 1997 the City of Durham and the Durham Police Department began an innovative program known as Hoist (Hispanic Outreach and Intervention Team). The program was formed through a federal grant and the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission as an outreach mechanism of local government to help bridge the gap between municipal services, especially law enforcement, and the rapidly expanding Latino community in Durham. Today, Hoist is funded exclusively with local funds through the general fund personal services portion of the Durham Police Department’s budget.