U.S. Department Of Justice Announces Collaborative Reform Initiative With Fayetteville Police Department

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA—Today the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced the beginning of a review of the Fayetteville Police Department’s use of force policies and practices.  The scope of the work announced today will include an assessment of policies, training, and operations as they relate to use of force, deadly force investigations, and interactions with citizens, taking into account national standards, best practices, current and emerging research, and community expectations.  Following the assessment, COPS will issue a report detailing the findings along with specific recommendations for improvement.  COPS will assess progress made at the 6-month and 12-month marks issuing follow up reports.

Ronald L. Davis, Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services said, “The Collaborative Reform Initiative we embark on today is just that—a collaboration—and everything this partnership entails will be done in an open and transparent fashion.”

Davis continued, “I applaud Chief Medlock for taking this proactive step to review his agencies policies and practices to ensure that they are current with the latest national standards.  Often times police departments seek help too late when the only remedy available is a pattern and practice investigation, consent decree and federal monitor costing millions of dollars.  The process we begin today has no cost to the city.”

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services developed the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance in 2011 as an independent and objective way to transform a law enforcement agency through an analysis of policies, practices, training, tactics, and accountability methods around key issues facing law enforcement today.

The goal of the Collaborative Reform Initiative is to help change the ways that law enforcement agencies build community partnerships and enhance transparency; transform agencies through decision making and policies; and institutionalize reforms with integrated accountability measures.