Police-Community Relations
Below are various dialogue & deliberation guides to help you improve relations between police and community members, as well as other how-to resources and information about best practices.
Guides to Dialogue & Deliberation
The Busy Citizen's Discussion Guide: Protecting Communities, Serving the Public: Police and Residents Building Relationships to Work Together
Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC), 2000. $1.00. Download for free at www.studycircles.org/pages/pub.html or complete the order form at www.studycircles.org/pdf/orderform.pdf.
Building Strong Neighborhoods: A Study Circle Guide for Public Dialogue and Community Problem Solving
Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC), 1998. A four-session discussion guide on many important neighborhood issues including: race and other kinds of differences; young people and families; safety and community-police relations; homes, housing and beautification; jobs and neighborhood economy; and schools. $5.00. Download for free at www.studycircles.org/pages/pub.html or complete the order form at www.studycircles.org/pdf/orderform.pdf.
Police Use of Excessive Force: A Conciliation Handbook for the Police and the Community
1999. The Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, which assists communities with crisis management and violence reduction, provides this 38-page handbook and many other freely downloadable publications at www.usdoj.gov/crs/publist.html.
Police and Urban Youth Relations: An Antidote to Racial Violence
1995. The Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, which assists communities with crisis management and violence reduction, provides this and many other freely downloadable publications at www.usdoj.gov/crs/publist.html.
Protecting Communities, Serving the Public: Police and Residents Building Relationships to Work Together
Study Circles Resource Center (SCRC), 2000. A five-session discussion guide designed to help communities bring police and residents together to build trust and respect, develop better policies, and make changes for safer communities. $5.00. Download for free at www.studycircles.org/pages/pub.html or complete the order form at www.studycircles.org/pdf/orderform.pdf.
Related Resources
Blueprint for Partnership
Offers a practical approach to assessing the relationship between a police department and the community. Shows how to mobilize task forces to assess police-community relations. Provides tips on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting findings. $20.00 for nonmembers. Order at the National League of Cities' online catalog at www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/inside_nlc/catalog/default.cfm or call in your order to 202-626-3150.
"Creating a Safer Community: Community Mediation and Community Oriented Policing Partnerships" Video
This video, produced by the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM), showcases community oriented policing and community mediation center partnerships started by the Northern California Collaborative (Berkeley Dispute Resolution Service, Conciliation Forums of Oakland, Community Boards of San Francisco and their respective police departments). The 20-minute VHS video identifies the goals of these partnerships, partnership benefits, the use of mediation services and the use of conflict management/conflict resolution skills in community oriented policing. Law enforcement personnel, community mediation center staff and community members will find the video a promising resource for community oriented problem-solving. Order for $10.00 at www.nafcm.org.
Exemplary Programs in Criminal Justice: Innovations at the Local Level
Compiled from NLC's Annual Innovation Awards Competition. Highlights 100 innovative, practical ideas and effective programs in criminal justice from communities around the nation. $25.00 for nonmembers. Order at the National League of Cities' online catalog at www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/inside_nlc/catalog/default.cfm or call in your order to 202-626-3150.
Innovative Approaches to Rethinking Public Safety
Highlights entries submitted in NLC's 1995 Innovation Awards Competition which focused on public safety, emergency preparedness, and community policing. $15.00 for non-members. Order at the National League of Cities' online catalog at www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/inside_nlc/catalog/default.cfm or call in your order to 202-626-3150.
Responding to Incidents Involving Allegations of Excessive Use of Force: A Checklist to Guide Police Executives
The Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, which assists communities with crisis management and violence reduction, provides this and many other freely downloadable publications at www.usdoj.gov/crs/publist.html.
Rethinking Public Safety
One in a series from NLC's Advisory Council Futures Process highlights practical strategies local officials are using to fight crime and violence. Shows how to facilitate a city-wide focus on public safety. $10.00 for nonmembers. Order at the National League of Cities' online catalog at www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/inside_nlc/catalog/default.cfm or call in your order to 202-626-3150.
"What happens if I'm stopped by an officer of the law?" (Que pasa si me para unpolicia u otro oficial de la ley?")
2001. The Community Relations Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, which assists communities with crisis management and violence reduction, provides this and many other freely downloadable publications at www.usdoj.gov/crs/publist.html.
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