Fiscal Year 2001

The citizen (or complainant) alleged that the officer used inappropriate language and conducted herself in an unprofessional manner during a traffic stop. The complainant believed that she was mistreated because she was a woman. She filed the complaint in order to prevent the officer from harassing other females during traffic stops and to compel the officer to seek counseling. Even though the complainant felt intimidated during the traffic stop, she was hopeful that meeting with the officer during a mediation session could resolve the matter.

During the mediation session, both the citizen and the officer stated their respective perceptions about the incident. The officer acknowledged how her actions might have been wrongly interpreted by the citizen and in the end agreed to take a “verbal judo” training course provided by the MPD training academy. The training course is designed to cover relevant subject matter, such as communication and listening skills. In return, the citizen agreed in writing that the mediation process had successfully resolved the issues pertaining to her complaint and agreed to release the officer and MPD from any claim of wrongdoing.