We are proud that OC Human Relations Commission's Police Community Reconciliation Program was a recent recipient of a National Association of Counties NACo 2010 Achievement Award, which recognizes innovative county government programs.
The Police Community Reconciliation Program (PCRP) is a program of OC Human Relations and is a collaborative effort by OC Human Relations and the Orange County Sheriff's Departments' Internal Affairs Division. PCRP is designed to assist community members in navigating and understanding the OC Sheriff's complaint process by providing an opportunity for deputies and community members to come together, with the guidance of a mediator, to resolve complaints. OC Human Relations can also assist in the resolution of issues with other city police agencies
If you have a complaint with any law enforcement personnel please call 714-567-5117 for assistance or email James Armendaris
The Reconcilation Program takes the place of IAD investigations and disciplinary actions, and offers finality. Traditional complaints can drag on for many months, but mediation cases are generally closed within weeks. Because mediation is confidential, officers and citizens can speak freely and honestly. The Reconciliation Program can make a significant long-term difference in how the complainants (and others close to them) view the police. Some complaints arise from misunderstandings of police procedures. In the field, officers may not have the time or opportunity to explain their actions. Mediation provides that opportunity.
People may have many different reasons for attempting reconciliation, including the following: - They want their concerns fully heard. - They want officers to explain themselves. - They prefer to speak directly to the officer rather than turn it all over to investigators and commanding officers. - They want to make sure officers are reminded of the resident's perspectives and expectations, and to prevent similar incidents. - They hope to regain their confidence in and respect for the police.
The reconciliation process often serves those goals better than investigation or punishment.
The reconciliation process uses mediation, which is: - An alternative to the traditional complaint/disciplinary process. - A voluntary, confidential process where a professional mediator helps officers and residents talk directly to each other. - An opportunity for the officer(s) to hear how his/her actions affected the resident and vice versa.
A mediation is not: - A court hearing requiring witnesses. - A process to determine who is guilty or innocent. People are there to listen to each other, not to blame each other. - A session where parties are forced to shake hands and make up.
More and more law enforcement agencies worldwide are adopting mediation as a way to resolve and reconcile resident-police conflict, because: - Mediation has a higher success and satisfaction rate among citizens and officers alike than traditional complaint processes. - It is more likely to improve relations between communities and police. - It is cost effective. - It addresses problems at the source.
The mediator is "the person in the middle," an impartial third party who helps people to talk through and resolve their differences. Mediators explain the ground rules and the process, each side gets the opportunity to talk about what happened from their own perspective, and then the mediators guide the parties through the dialog process. The mediator: - Listens to both sides of the story. - Asks questions to clarify what happened and identify central issues. - Does not take sides, place blame, or pass judgment. - Helps keep the discussion non-threatening and productive.
Mediation is confidential: all participants sign a legally binding confidentiality agreement. The contents of a mediation session are not subject to subpoena or discovery in civil actions, and courts have upheld the mediator-client privilege. (Exception: There are mandatory reporting requirements for admissions of certain criminal acts.)
One of the ground rules of mediation is that all parties treat each other with courtesy and respect. While some venting (on both sides) is part of the process, the mediator won't permit verbal abuse or threatening conduct. Mediators can separate the parties and work with them individually, or the mediation can be terminated if necessary. Mediation can be successful even with difficult people.
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