As of October 1st, the Michigan RCPI has been re-funded for an additional 12 months. We’ve been selected to host a conference on the nexus of community response to domestic violence and community policing with additional funding for that project. All of these additional dollars promise to make 1999 an even more productive year for organizational change in Michigan police agencies.

This issue of the RCPI Newsletter is the first of six to be published with the renewed funding. The Newsletter’s purpose is to serve as an information resource for the accumulation, development, and interpretation of community policing knowledge while promoting the definition of community policing as "a customer based organizational transformation, unlimited partnerships and an informational based unified effort to solve problems."

Our greatest resource for information to include in the Newsletter is you, the practitioner, so we will be actively seeking your contributing articles on "what is working, what you’ve learned and what to avoid when implementing the principles of community policing".

Finally, RCPI staff and partner representatives will be selecting approximately five new departments with whom the RCPI Training and Technical Assistance Teams will be working this next funding period. Staff will also be awarding a limited amount of money through mini-grants to communities within those areas where the RCPI is working.

Michigan’s Community Policing Domestic Violence Conference
The Michigan Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) at Michigan State University has been awarded $100,000 to deliver a statewide Community Policing Domestic Violence Conference. Conditions for awarding the funds indicated that this is not to be a traditional domestic violence conference, rather it must focus on the nexus between community policing and domestic violence. By hosting this conference, the RCPI is providing support for test-sites that are developing community policing-based interventions for domestic violence through a program in the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice. 

Development of community coordinated responses will be a significant part of the conference, therefore, priority will be given to teams of professionals from the same area, but individuals will also be welcome to apply for attendance. Due to the limited number of participants that can be accepted, interested persons are encouraged to consider in advance what professionals in their area could apply as a team to benefit from developing a coordinated community response to domestic violence.

We envision the conference to take place over a three-day period, tentative dates for this conference have been scheduled for October 27-29, 1999. It is anticipated that the conference will be held in Lansing, Michigan. More information will be provided when it becomes available. Please set aside these dates on your calendar!
 

Name The Newsletter Contest The RCPI Newsletter is holding a contest! Since the Newsletter is for you, the reader, we would like your input as to what the name should be. The deadline for Newsletter names will be Monday, February 11, 1999. Forward your entry to: Christina Wilkerson 1407 S. Harrison 333 Nisbet Building East Lansing, Michigan 48823 Fax: (517) 432-0727 E-mail: christina.carter@ssc.msu.edu. The person who enters the winning suggestion will receive a Michigan State University sweatshirt.

 

Focus:
A two-day interactive workshop designed for police who are utilizing community policing principles.

Program Objectives:
• To focus on the issues in a community that are problems impeding successful solutions.
• To examine "who should be at the table" to assist in identifying and solving problems.
• To work on a method that documents progress of problem solving.
• To work in teams at the workshop to illustrate this powerful method.

Cost:
$250 ($225 if 3 or more from the same jurisdiction attend).

For more information contact Eunice Weber at the Regional Community Policing Institute: Tel: 1-800-892 -9051 or 517-432-2204, Fax: 432-0727 or email: weber@pilot.msu.edu
 

Old Town Neighbors Meet
Barb Rishel, President, Old Town Neighborhood Association, Traverse City, Michigan

The Old Town Neighborhood Association of Traverse City, Michigan held its first meeting on September 8, 1998. Twenty-eight households were represented; approximately 10% of the total in the area accounting for forty residents. The primary goal of the meeting was to prioritize the issues that will be addressed by the Association.

Priscilla Holmes, a facilitator from The Michigan RCPI, discussed types and purposes of neighborhood organizations and their advantages. Priscilla is a Community Specialist with the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Her expertise is in community organization and she has been working with Michigan communities for several years.

Within the Association, temporary officers were elected and will serve until by-laws have been approved. A committee will next be selected to write the by-laws and boundaries will be established for the Association.

Two officers representing the Traverse City Police Department also attended the meeting. They expressed support for the idea of neighborhood associations and neighborhood watch groups and indicated their willingness to be of assistance.

In roundtable discussions, groups were asked to identify the most important issues facing their neighborhood. Traffic, both speed and volume, was the undisputed major issue. Members will be discussing traffic problems and possible solutions at their next meeting. The Association will also discuss the proposed revised zoning ordinance and has invited the City Planner to meet and talk with members about zoning changes within and bordering Old Town Neighborhood.

Joint Labor-Management Approach
Julie Brockman, MA,
School of Labor and Industrial Relations

"Most valuable to our group was the fact that labor and management both took part and began a working relationship that will be necessary to make any change occur."

"This is the first time that union officers have been asked to participate in a training seminar."

"Particularly useful was the fact that management and the union were invited to gather and participate together in answering questions and forming opinions."

These were just some of the comments from the participants following the RCPI workshop "A Union-Management Approach to Community Policing" held on December 10, 1998 at Kellogg Center, on MSU’s campus. Workshop participants included leaders from both union and management from 13 Michigan police agencies.

The purpose of the workshop was to promote the use of a joint union-management approach to the design and implementation of community policing. In brief, workshop participants identified: the operational applications of community policing; what they believed to be the characteristics of a joint labor-management (JLM) approach; what, within their organization was driving them toward using a JLM approach and conversely, what, within their organization was keeping them from using such an approach for implementing community policing; and finally, if they were interested in a JLM approach, what they planned to do to promote it within their own organization.

Sgt. Tom Jenkins, Monroe City Police Department, attended the workshop and later commented: "It was interesting to see across the room the variation of experience in using a joint approach. It was quite new for some of them and others, like ourselves, have had some experience with it."

The message strewn throughout the workshop was that a change to community policing is most effective when those who are called to carry out the change are involved in its design and implementation.

Upcoming Training-Open Seminars

¨ February 17-18, Problem Solving, Kentwood, Michigan
¨ February 25-26, Community Policing Initiatives, University Club, East Lansing
¨ March 16-17, Supervision and Community Policing, Nisbet Building, 
     Michigan State University
¨ March 18, A Union Management Approach to Implementing Community Policing,
    Lafayette Square, Michigan State University
¨ April 5-6, Community Policing, Nisbet Building, Michigan State University
¨ April 22-23, Problem Solving, Novi, Michigan

Northern Michigan Community Policing Consortium
The Michigan Regional Community Policing Institute at Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice has initiated an effort to coordinate the implementation of community policing on a regional basis in northwest Lower Peninsula. 

PURPOSE FOR FORMATION OF THE CONSORTIUM:
To create an intradepartmental leadership team to guide the implementation of community policing on a regional basis.

 
1. To identify and describe regional community policing initiatives that can be achieved cooperatively by the six participating agencies.
2. To share community policing experiences, successes, problems, mistakes, and resources between agencies.
3. To secure labor’s involvement and support for the implementation of philosophy in the daily delivery of law enforcement services.
4. To work toward regional community vs. separated governmental agencies.
5. To facilitate the sharing of information and resources through leadership team meetings.
6. To stimulate police officers’ involvement in community activities, government, and schools.
7. To tie an officer’s performance evaluation to the officers practice of community policing philosophy.
8. To identify selection criteria to assist in hiring new officer’s who can deliver police service that complements the community policing philosophy.
9. To identify the methods and practices necessary to implement and manage total community policing within a department.
10. To receive legislative recognition of the region’s efforts to implement community policing.

 
1. Each department will be an example of how community policing can successfully be implemented.
2. Each department will work to improve policing services.
3. Crime will be reduced (statistically as well as perceptually) because of community partnerships.
4. There will be a common, regional law enforcement community policing philosophy.
5. There will be more community input and involvement sought on issues related to delivery of services and identification of crime and social disorder.
6. The quality of life in the region will improve.
7. More neighboring police will institute community policing as a way of "doing business".
8. Free and open communication will exist between community and police.

Gerrish Township Police Department,
Chief John C. Biggar

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians Tribal Police,
Captain Tim Werner

Grand Traverse County Sheriffs Department,
Sheriff Harold Barr

Kalkaska Police Department,
Chief Melvin Hill

Leelanau County Sheriffs Department,
Sheriff Michael Oltersdorf

Traverse City Police Department,
Chief Ralph Soffredine