Apply the Citizen Leadership Skills to Resolve Community-Police Relationship Issues

This process begins with Skill Seven, Collaborative Citizen Team Building and Problem-Solving and Skill Six, Partnering. Skill One, Active Listening, Skill Two, Dialogue, Skill Three, Divergent Thinking and Convergent

Thinking, Skill Four, Creative Problem-Solving, and Skill Five, Win Win Conflict Resolution can be used, as     

needed. 

Here are the steps:

1. Identify the stakeholders involved, such as public agencies, organizations,

    businesses, or groups:

             a. Mayor’s Office

             b. Police Department

             c. City Council Members

             d. Community-Police Commission

             e. Neighborhood citizens who make 911 calls requesting police-public safety   

                   services

             f. Other stakeholders

2. Select a “Thought Leader Team” comprised of a representative of each major

    stakeholder to work with the facilitator to design a process agenda that is     

    agreeable to all stakeholders;

3. Thought Leader Team and facilitator identify the individual participants for the

    first Collaborative Team Building and Problem Solving Session that represent 

    the various stakeholders.  Suggested number between 50 and 60 participants.

4. Conduct pre-session preparation, including online survey of participant top

    issues, solutions, and goals, key participant telephone interviews, report of 

    pre-session survey results and interviews, and distribute report to invited 

    participants;

5. Facilitator designs meeting agenda and shares it with Thought Leader Team for

    input.

Sample Meeting Agenda

Goals: 

             a. Develop effective problem-solving team to resolve community-police

                 relationship issues using the Partnering process to establish common                             goals and mission, etc.

             b. Review national “best practices” of police-public safety services provided to

                 citizens in response to citizen 911 calls, including police officers, social   

                 workers, and other service providers.

             c. Consider the “best practices” in designing and implementing the police-

                 public safety responses to citizen 911 calls.

             d. Design implementation plan and follow-up.

6. Collaborative Citizen Team Building and Problem – Solving Session takes place.