The LAPD has announced a new program where officers can come face-to-face with community members who accuse them of racial profiling.

The Community-Employee Mediation Pilot program will allow both sides to see things from the other’s perspective.

Neither party is required to agree with one another; and only conflicts that don’t involve use of force, injuries, or actual criminal misconduct will be eligible for the program.

From the Huffington Post:

Each party will be able to meet to discuss the profiling incident with each other in conversations mediated by a third party volunteer from the City Attorney’s office, according to a memo the LAPD provided to The Huffington Post.

The pilot program is a major step for a police department with a history of complaints and criticisms around racial profiling and bias. The Los Angeles Times cites most bias complaints stem from traffic or pedestrian stops.

According to the LAPD memo, a successful mediation is defined as “a process in which the parties have heard, clarified and understood the issues and each other’s point of view.” The result may either be an agreement or an agreement to disagree, with participants not required to reach a formal resolution.

Read more at the Huffington Post

 

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