I agree with Matthea that community policing is about partnership and teh community must be involved from the start. In Seward we also had a difficult experience trying to develop a community policing program realted to our first phase of NRP. People worked and worked to get something and many are still frustrated and disappointed. Clearly this stems from a basic lack of agreement between police, neighborhood activists and others about what community policing is, and how to make it happen. It will be key to develop educational opportunities for rank and file police staff, residents as well as other city and neighborhood staff. These opportunities ought to include presentations and facilitation from people with proven track records in community-oriented policing from outside the police department, from outside Minneapolis and from outside (as well as inside) the law enforcement profession. I would like to see a mayor, police department and City Council as fired-up about (and willing to promote) community-oriented policing as they are today about CODEFOR. I would like to see us all sitting together as equals ready to learn and develop our shared vision of real community policing, defining the steps we need to take and taking them as soon as possible. Like Matthea and others on this list I think Minneapolis is ready and eager. Cam Gordon Candidate for Minneapolis City Council, Ward 2 914 Franklin Terrace Mpls. MN 55406-1101 (612) 332-6210 http://www.camgordon.org _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
