The Mediation Response Unit responded to more than 3,200 calls last year that police officers in the past used to handle. The unit has seen a sizable increase in calls this year, which is helping reduce the burden on law enforcement while assisting community members so they can work through conflict.
“We’re working on making sure that it is very clear to the community that we are not the police and the way we operate is not the same,” said Aaron Primm, acting coordinator of the Dayton Mediation Response Unit. “This is a whole different process about how we intervene.”
Nothing like this program
Launched in May 2022, the Dayton Mediation Response is a first-of-its-kind program in the United States that sends two-person teams of mediation specialists instead of police officers to certain kinds of calls for service.
Specialists, who are unarmed, are trained in deescalating conflict. When they arrive on scene, they separate the parties and talk to them and listen to their concerns.
Sending mediators instead of police makes a big difference, said Michelle Zaremba, director of the Dayton Mediation Center.
“When people see police they get offended because their neighbor called (law enforcement) on them. They get frustrated, they get angry,” Zaremba said. Police “would have to go to the calls because there was no other option.”
A significant number of 911 calls are diverted to the Mediation Response Unit. And some people call the unit directly.
Arguments and disagreements between neighbors are very common. In fact, roughly half of the calls the unit is deployed to involve quarreling neighbors.
Fights and friction can stem from disagreements over parking, noise, use of trash and recycling bins, barking dogs, property line encroachments and other situations, said Allison Pleasant, a mediation response specialist.
Specialists like Pleasant try to calm things down and do not take sides. They try to ensure everyone feels like they are being heard and their concerns are being properly conveyed and considered.
Community members might not be friends by the time mediators finish up at a scene, but they typically have a better understanding of each other’s perspectives and issues, Pleasant said.
However, sometimes people who were engaged in conflict get emotional and hug or are brought to tears. The mediation program uses a “transformative” approach meant to help people in conflict reach agreements together and on their own.
“When we talk to people, we talk to people differently than pretty much anybody does, not just the police,” Acting Director Primm said. “We’re seeking to support people and hear them the way they need to be heard.”
Types of calls addressed
After neighbor complaints, other common types of calls the unit handles include those for unruly or misbehaving youth; barking dogs or other pet issues; disorderly individuals; tenant and landlord fights; and assistance with child visitation or custody exchanges.
In many cases, people do not realize that what they are doing or permitting is upsetting someone else.
Specialists sometimes are called when young people are ignoring or talking back to their parents or guardians or refusing to go to school.
Mediators respond to a significant number of calls from foster group homes where young people are acting out or not following the rules or adult directions.
Mediators also respond to some calls in which people are refusing to leave a store or someone else’s property and they are causing a scene.
Specialists help in all sorts of ways. They try to understand what’s going on and lower the temperature on heated arguments. They facilitate conversations and find out what people might need.
Some conflicts arise because people’s needs are not being met or their troubles are not being recognized and appreciated, specialists say.
A change in response
Zaremba said the Mediation Response Unit has helped the Mediation Center shift from being reactive to proactive.
Police officers used to respond to calls and refer people dealing with non-violent and non-emergency conflict to mediation. Now, specialists are deployed directly from the get-go.
A mediation response team member usually can get to these kinds of calls quicker than police officers were able to respond, said Josh Bedink, a mediation specialist.
Specialists can spend more time talking to parties than police did because officers often had to run out to more urgent public safety calls. The program has been credited with helping police focus on higher level public safety issues.
“In my experience, I feel like we have the luxury of spending a lot more time with these neighbors than police do to try to help them find some kind of resolution amongst themselves,” Bedink said.
Without intervention, small disputes potentially can turn into major conflict. Disagreements sometimes escalate into yelling matches or even physical altercations.
Specialists said their jobs are challenging and require patience and a certain skill set. But they say it’s very rewarding work.
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