Fact-Finding Teams

Bob Hughes

Former CRS Mediator, Atlanta and Seattle Offices


[Full Interview]

They established a community relations unit more or less around the [outside] criminologist [who was brought in as an "outside expert," although she wasn't a sworn officer. Those were the regular kinds of elements of an agreement. In the event of any racially based crisis, the members in the negotiating teams would establish communication. In other words, either could initiate contact and there were co-chair persons I believe, and either of them could initiate a joint meeting to ensure communication and to secure factual information over police reports so that they could effectively address the issues involved. So that grievance channel was established.