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2005-01-12 CC Packet
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2005-01-12 CC Packet
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<br />~I <br /> <br />Seeking Peaceful Alternatives <br /> <br />latter usually works better:' <br />Edwardo Wolle of Rice County Dis- <br />pute Resolution Program 'also hands <br />out cards at law enforcement events <br />and roll caU. Their cards are printed in <br />both English and Spanish. He prefers <br />to recej.ve referrals by phone or e-mail. <br />Jeanne Zimmer of Dispute Resolu- <br />tion Center says that they are open to <br />both direct and indirect referrals from <br />police officers~ and, according to coor~ <br />dinator Betty Christenson. referrals at <br />Alternative DisputeResolution Services <br />"generally come from the person re- <br />ferred. ... Sometimes the police or <br />sheriff's department will contact us <br />describing the situation to so we can <br />anticipate a call f~m the individuaJ." <br /> <br />Recognizing 'a Referral C,ue <br />Both Bailey-Allen and WaUerstedt <br />have found that officers receive re- <br />peated calls for service from the same <br />residence. These cases may be suitable <br />for mediation. Bailey-Allen says that <br />sometimes the issue is a lack of com- <br />munication between the disputing par- <br />ties. "1 am amazed in neighborhood <br />mediations... how often the people are <br />mee~ing each other for the first time in <br />the mediatioo," says Bailey-Allen. Me~ <br />diatioD helps give the disputing p~ies <br />a way to cooperate in the future, so <br />their first call isn't to the police. <br />The most important thing police need <br />to know about mediation, though, is <br />that while mediation may work in many <br />small disputes. any cases involving <br />weapons or alcohol, drugs. or domestic <br />violence should not be referred to me- <br />diation. "We are not a crisis agency," <br />Wallerstedt adds. Bailey-Allen agrees, <br />"We get too many calls for domestic <br />violence situations and that's got to) be <br />frustrating for the people who are mak- <br />ing those calls and finding out that the <br />resource they've been given isn't going <br />to be helpful." <br />Another reminder for police is to <br />refercasesearlytomediation. Wallerstedt <br />just recently was referred a case by law <br />enforcement that the police had been <br />dealing with unsuccessfully for five <br />years. <br />Senior Commander Colleen Luna <br /> <br />181MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEF <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />IL <br /> <br /> <br />Mediators from the Minneapolis Mediation Program train for han- <br />dling community mediations. <br /> <br />of the Saint Paul Police Department is <br />chair of the Dispute Resolution Center <br />Board of Directors. Luna says that al-. <br />ternative dispute resolution is "near <br />and dear" to her heart and notes that <br />"every case mediated orfacilitated by a <br />DRC volunteer is one less 911 phone <br />call or protracted legal dispute." LUria <br />is "committed to the community-based <br />mediation and restorative justice ser- <br />vices DRC offers." She says, "DRC <br />provides a forum for healing commu- <br />nities and empowering individuals to <br />solve their own disputes ... Mediation <br />is an efficient, effective, and economi- <br />cal approach to resolving our <br />community's disagreements." <br />Volunteer mediators Bonnie Lukes <br />and Jerry McCadden both feel that po- <br />lice officers should refer annoyance <br />cases before they escalate. Police of- <br />fice:rs should' hand over' these cases, <br />Lukes says, so they are free "for the <br />things that need their exact police ex- <br />pertise:' <br />McCadden says that sometimes po_ <br />lice have sat in on his mediation ses- <br />sions and the community has learned <br />from them about what they can and <br />can't do. In one case, the police were <br />accused of "doing nothing," but since <br />no charges had been filed, there were <br />no legal actions that they could take. <br /> <br />Once this was explained to the com- <br />plainants, they better understood the <br />role of the officer. <br />Community Iustice Coordinator <br />David Hines of the Woodbury Police <br />Department encourages police officers <br />to refer cas~s., His department~as a <br />special restorative justice progquri,for <br />juvenile cases and neighbor~99d c;Us- <br />putes:They began i~cl~ding In~iatiQn <br />in 1994. Hin~s s<iYS that "agenCies. <br />. [should] get inv:olvc9by at least refer- <br />ring cases out and participating in them <br />as a key player if not facilitating cases, <br />as we do'" <br />Hines often speaks to law enforce- <br />ment officers and has been asked many <br />questions about the responsibilities of <br />law enforcement in terms of media- <br />tion. Hines says if manpower-is a prob- <br />lem, officers don't have to be too in- <br />yolvf'd. !hey c~~j:J:;t ;:~fer th6 Ca:;.es 10 <br />mediation and not participate them- <br />selves. To those who question whether <br />cops should be involved, he says, "Po- <br />licing has always been and always will <br />need to be about community interac- <br />tion, problem solving and, to be etfec. <br />tive. working with and seeking out com- <br />munity resources to define and address <br />the community's needs. Our prime <br />goal should always be to prevent crime <br />and whe_D that fails to he.lp. repair, <br /> <br />Ir- <br />
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