As you may recall from our past newsletters and IOLERO's 2019-2020 Annual Report, IOLERO and the CAC partnered with Sonoma State University (SSU) and Redwood Consulting Collective to design a high-functioning Community-Oriented Policing Program that will help the community and the Sheriff's Office work together to improve policing and quality of life for everyone in the community.
Read The Press Democrat articles about IOLERO’s Community-Oriented Policing Project here:
The May CAC meeting will present an overview of the research study being conducted by SSU to inform IOLERO’s community-oriented policing program. Specifically, we will review the study design and draft of the Strategic Learning Questions (SLQs) that will frame the study. The CAC will have the opportunity to ask questions about the study, provide input on the SLQs that the research team has developed, and suggest additional questions. Community input will also be solicited through public comment.
The strategic learning questions on which the researchers will be seeking community feedback are these:
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How do members of the community define "Community-Oriented Policing?"While the research literature provides a definition of this concept, we are interested to learn how different members of the community and the SCSO define community policing.
- Do community members perceive community-oriented policing differently than law enforcement officers? If so, how do these perceptions differ?
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When community members think of community-oriented policing, what examples come to mind? We’re interested in hearing local examples or examples they’ve heard of from other places.
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What community-oriented policing practices does the SCSO currently engage in? We’re interested in learning if these practices are formal or informal, sporadic or consistent, voluntary or required.
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How does the SCSO communicate its expectations related to community-oriented policing to its deputies? As part of this question, we’re interested in learning about the extent to which SCSO training addresses elements of community-oriented policing.
- How does the SCSO evaluate the extent to which their deputies are engaging in community-oriented policing practices and how does this factor into the annual evaluations of deputies?
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What do community members think results from community-oriented policing practices? We are interested in learning what impact the community expects to see from community-oriented policing. We want to find out if there are examples of this impact in Sonoma County and specifically with the SCSO.
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What is the nature of the current relationship between community members and the SCSO? We are interested in learning about perceptions of the SCSO and relationships with the SCSO among different groups within the community. We also want to learn about the specific practices that SCSO deputies are engaged in to build relationships with community members in their areas.
- What are community members’ priorities in regards to the SCSO and community-oriented policing?
The agenda will be posted at least three business days in advance of the meeting. As always, you may access the agenda, minutes and recordings of the CAC meetings here.
