What is the Citizen & Employee Mediation Program?
Started in 2003, the Houston Police Department's Citizen & Employee Mediation Program is a mediation resource available to individuals in the greater Houston community. Via this innovative program citizens can meet face-to-face with department employees, including police officers, in order to resolve issues and concerns. Each party is able to have direct input into how issues that mutually affect them are resolved. The program is dedicated to providing participants a forum through which their issues and concerns can be effectively addressed in a controlled, secure, and confidential environment.

How Does The Program Work?

The Citizen & Employee Mediation Program utilizes the mediation process to address many types of interpersonal issues. Citizens will be given an opportunity to mediate with an HPD employee with whom they have a concern. The program provides a faster and more efficient issue resolution alternative to citizens. This program does not replace any other existing police department issue or complaint resolution process. However, it does afford the citizen an opportunity to resolve interpersonal issues (of a non-criminal nature) in a face-to-face, secure, and confidential environment.

Who Can Participate in The Program?

The program is designed to allow an individual citizen an opportunity to mediate with an HPD employee regarding a specific issue or concern. A typical mediation session involves the parties to the mediation and the mediator. No one else can be in attendance.

Why is The Program Effective?

In order to achieve common goals and improve the quality of community life the Citizen & Employee Mediation Program helps the department to identify issues and concerns so proper solutions can be developed. The mediation process is effective because it results in enhanced understanding between participants; promotes faster resolution of issues; participants are empowered with greater control over the final resolution of their issues; and it provides a controlled setting in which participants can discuss problems face-to-face.

Who To Contact

Any citizen who wishes to pursue mediation as a way to resolve their issue or concern involving an HPD employee may call the Alternative Dispute Resolution office at 713-308-3400 and request to speak with a Mediation Section staff member.