Police Mediation

The Greenville Police Department and the Upstate Mediation Center (UMC) operate a Community–Police Mediation Program designed to provide an alternative forum for resolving certain types of citizen complaints. Through this program, specially-trained professional UMC mediators will guide citizens and police officers through a face-to-face facilitated discussion in a neutral, confidential environment.

Participation in the mediation program is voluntary and is offered as an alternative to the Greenville Police Department's formal complaint process. Complaints that are eligible for the program include demeanor complaints (e.g., discourteous or rude behavior); ineffective communication between a complainant and a police officer; and biased-based policing complaints.

Citizen complaints about law enforcement often stem from misunderstandings and poor communication during emotionally-charged incidents. The goal of mediation is to alleviate the accompanying anger, fear, anxiety, trauma, and resentment and provide an opportunity for both the citizen and the officer to tell their side of the story in a non-threatening, non-judgmental setting. Through mediation, both parties gain an understanding of the other's perspective, which helps to restore confidence and rebuild trust between the two parties.

Law enforcement agencies in cities such as Denver, Pasadena, and New York have successfully utilized similar programs and report that both citizens and officers leave mediation sessions with a greater sense of satisfaction than those who participate in the traditional departmental complaint process.

With the assistance of the Upstate Mediation Center, the Greenville Police Department is committed to helping citizens and officers find common ground and resolve their grievances fairly and amicably.

About the Upstate Mediation Center

FAQs

Why did the Greenville Police Department decide to offer this program?: While conducting research on how law enforcement agencies in other cities resolve citizen complaints, the GPD command staff discovered that cities like Denver, Pasadena and New York have had considerable success with mediation. After learning that the cities with mediation programs reported increased levels of satisfaction for both complainants and officers compared with traditional complaint-handling processes, Chief Miller decided to approach UMC about developing a similar program for Greenville.
How does the program work?: The mediation program is offered as an alternative to GPD’s traditional complaint resolution process and participation in the program is strictly voluntary. Both the citizen and the officer must agree to participate. With mediation, the citizen and the officer meet face-to-face over a period of time and a UMC mediator guides the two parties through a constructive discussion about the incident in a controlled and confidential environment. Each party has an opportunity to tell their side of the story and to explain how the interaction affected them. The mediator then works with the two parties to help them reach a mutually acceptable resolution.
How long does the mediation process take?: While each situation is unique, mediation usually takes about two weeks and individual sessions typically last 45-60 minutes.
Is there a cost to participate in the program?: There is no cost to the complainant to participate in the program.
How do I submit a complaint?: Citizens can submit a complaint online at http://police.greenvillesc.gov/complaint or by calling the Greenville Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division at 864-467-5510.
What types of citizen complaints are eligible for the program?: Eligible complaints include complaints about discourteous or rude behavior, complaints of biased-based policing and complaints about a lack of effective communication between the officer and the citizen.
What are the benefits of mediation versus a more traditional method of complaint-handling?: One of the goals of mediation is to alleviate the negative emotions like anger, fear, anxiety, trauma and resentment that often accompany the types of incidents that typically lead to a citizen complaint. Mediation allows each party an opportunity to be heard and understood in a non-threatening, non-judgmental setting. The mediator can help both parties see each other as individuals, which allows them to begin building trust and a more positive relationship. Additionally, mediation empowers both participants by allowing them to have direct control over how the complaint is resolved rather than having someone else decide for them.
What are the police department’s goals for the program?: The most direct benefit of mediation is that it will help us ensure that one interaction doesn’t result in an overall negative perception of the Greenville Police Department or of law enforcement as a whole. Ultimately, our goal is to strengthen and improve community-police relationships one case at a time. Additionally, our hope is that through mediation, we can build a foundation of trust and respect, and that those positive interactions will have a ripple effect throughout our community and beyond.