The league’s Hall of Fame recognition is given to municipalities whose community-driven initiatives have important local impact stemming from community engagement.
“The recent police reform initiative shows that the community is still embodying the ideals of an All-American City and is committed to the practice of civic engagement,” said National Civic League President Doug Linkhart in a prepared statement.
On Tuesday, Dayton leaders, officials and members of the police department and the city’s police reform committees attended a press conference at City Hall to announce the city’s induction into the Hall of Fame.
The league named Dayton as an All-America City in 1951, 1978, 1991 and 2017.
All-America City awards are given to cities that use civic engagement, inclusiveness and innovation to address local issues.
Dayton leaders created five police reform committees in 2020 following protests in downtown in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
The committees, which includedmore than 100 community members and officials, met frequently for months and produced 142 recommendations for police reforms in the city.
Most of the recommendations have been accepted and implemented or are in the process of implementation, said city and police officials.
The city, with the help of a wide range of community voices and partners, has reimagined what community policing looks like, said Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr.
The police reform process has led to significant changes, including the addition of body-worn cameras, a new mediation responder program, an accountability auditor position and new training, recruitment and other police policies.
Countless hours were spent during the police reform process talking about how the community and police can build a better relationship, said Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson, the deputy director and assistant chief.
Reform committees came up with new ways to increase police transparency, supporters said, and new recruiting efforts are meant to increase diversity among the ranks of the department.
Mims said the city still has a lot of work ahead to see recommendations put into action, but the progress that has already been made is promising.
The civic Hall of Fame includes Roanoke, Virginia (inducted in 2019); Marietta, Georgia (2020); and Acworth and Decatur in Georgia (2021).
The National Civic League, once known as the National Municipal League, was established in 1894, and one of its founders was Theodore Roosevelt.
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