The Bowling Green Police are setting a new standard for other police departments across the state as they introduce a new position, the International Community Liaison.

Bowling Green is home to people from more than 20 different countries, and now, local police are doing what they can to reach out to the international population.

"I will be responsible for building relationships and that is our number one goal," explains Monica Woods, a Bowling Green native who has traveled the world while also studying abroad and teaching law enforcement classes.

Now she brings her experience back to Bowling Green where she becomes the new International Community Liaison.

"We want to build relationship better relationships with the international community here in Bowling Green," she says. "That includes the Hispanic population, Bosnian Population and many other international populations that people may not be aware of."

That vision is new to the state as Bowling Green becomes one of the first cities to introduce an international liaison position.

"The goal is to create relationships and problem solve together. In doing so, I think it will make for a better Bowling Green for all of us," explains Bowling Green Police Chief Doug Hawkins.

Woods is in charge of laying the foundation for the new position and she says the designing process can sometimes be a challenge.

"I look at it like building a house. I know what I want this house to look like, but we don't have the blueprints really for that yet. So, it's a work in progress," she says.

Despite the challenges ahead of her, Woods says it's important for everyone to remember that no matter our origins, we are all still the same in so many ways.

"Something that we all need to remember is that whether our last name is Woods in my case, or Martinez or Amidovicz we all have the same worries and the same concerns," she says.

Woods says she hopes the position will grow to include more officers who can help reach the international community in a positive and helpful way.