Police Community Reconciliation Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The Police Community Reconciliation Program is a collaboration between OC Human Relations Commission (OCHRC) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD). The program brings diverse community members and deputies together voluntarily with the guidance of a mediator to help resolve complaints. It is designed to handle complaints that do not rise to the level of allegations of serious misconduct or criminal acts. The Police Community Reconciliation Program resolves police complaints in a quick and direct method, avoiding the high cost of Internal Affairs investigations, increasing the satisfaction of complainants and affording law enforcement personnel the opportunity of getting and giving timely feedback on complaints. Whereas other methods of settlement such as Internal Affairs investigations must conform to high legal standards due to judgments that are rendered and the Police Officers’ Bill of Rights, the Police Community Reconciliation Program can, at a lower level and in a fraction of the time, give a significantly more satisfying result to a substantial portion of the overall complaints received. In its first year, the program exceeded expectations by handling 63 complaints.