Reedley Police Win James Q. Wilson Award
for Excellence in Community Policing
The Reedley Police Department was recently
awarded the James Q. Wilson Award for
embracing the philosophy of restorative justice and
excellence in community policing at the
community restoration as a whole.
The Reedley Peace Building Initiative (RPBI) is
2014 California Police Chiefs’ Training
a restorative justice process modeled from the Victim
Symposium held in Monterey, California. Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP). Restorative
The award presentation was based on the innovative restorative justice initiative Chief Joe Garza and his department have
implemented over the past several years in Reedley, California.
This initiative has continued to gain recognition and participation
based on its “outside the box” process of handling juvenile crime
and conflict.
In a society with an ever-increasing burden on our Criminal
Justice System, law enforcement is challenged to find solutions
that will enhance our communities, not continue to allow them to
deteriorate. The Reedley Police Department has taken a forward
step toward alternate solutions in addressing juvenile crime while
justice is a process whereby all parties with a stake in
a particular offense come together to resolve collectively how to
deal with the aftermath of an offense and its implications for the
future, while focusing on repairing the relationship at the same
time. The offense is mediated between the offender, victim and
a qualified conflict mediator. The outcome is a contract signed
between both parties in which they agree on how to restore the
damage caused by the offense. In many cases entire families
(parents, siblings) will become involved in the conflict resolution
as well. “The goal of the restorative justice process is to reduce
crime rates while continuing to create healthier families that will
contribute back to their community.” says Chief Garza.
FALL 2014 | California Police Chief
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