The Cincinnati EnquirerMediation effort has sixth session, Participants want to talk moreBy Kristina Goetz, November 02, 2001Business, civic and education leaders put their heads together Thursday to discuss ways the Cincinnati police and public can better get along.More than 80 people attended the half-day session at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College sponsored by Aria Group, a Yellow Springs-based conflict resolution firm. The meeting was part of the mediation effort to settle a racial profiling lawsuit filed against the city in March by the American Civil Liberties Union and local black activists. More than 750 citizens - from small-business owners to CEOs - filled out surveys detailing their ideas. Thursday, some of them came together to discuss the results. They plan to meet again because they ran out of time. "This issue of police and community relations is really central to the continued growth and development of our city and our region," said Cincinnati State President Ron D. Wright. "I'm kind of a peacemaker. I want to make peace because I am serving both of these as constituents." This was the sixth of eight sessions held for different groups targeted across Cincinnati to participate in the process. Religious and social service leaders, youths, African-Americans, city employees and white citizens already have participated. Sessions for other minorities and police officers will be scheduled in the next month. Kathy Merchant, president of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, who participated in Thursday's session, announced that her organization has $250,000 sitting in reserve to help implement programs that come out of the mediation. For Ms. Merchant, the process is particularly important. "I live eight blocks away from where Timothy Thomas was shot," she said. "To me, it's really personal. It's where I live." The death of Mr. Thomas, 19, an unarmed black man who was fleeing from police, triggered Cincinnati's April racial unrest. The next step in the process is to pair ideas from community members with research on the best police practices nationwide. This, along with the recent U.S. Justice Department recommendations, will form a settlement agreement, which both parties in the lawsuit will begin to debate in December or January. If a settlement is reached, the parties will present it to U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott in February. top Back next |