Crossed modules as maps between connected components of topological   groups
  The purpose of this note is to observe that a homomorphism of discrete groups $f:\Gamma\to G$ arises as the induced map $\pi_0(\mathfrak{M})\to \pi_0(\mathfrak{X})$ on path components of some closed normal inclusion of topological groups $\mathfrak{M}\subseteq \mathfrak{X},$ if and only if the map $f$ can be equipped with a crossed module structure. In that case an essentially unique realization $\mathfrak{M}\subseteq \mathfrak{X}$ exists by homotopically discrete topological groups. 
Emmanuel D. Farjoun, Yoav Segev
math.AT math.GR