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o overarching goal of optimizing program utilization. The. . oppOrtunity to engage in a facilitated conversation with the employee's supervisor and retain the ability to go forward with a complaint was a mitigating factor. MATT also noted that complainants would continue to be made fully aware of the implications of selecting one option over another/facilitating Infonned. decisions consistent with desired outcomes. One. of the resource documents MATT utilized in its research was a report suggesting methods to improve the police complaint mediation program in Albany, New York. The recommendations were written by Lauri Stewart of the Portland Independent Police Review Division, who was brought in as a consultant to review Albany's system. Ms. Stewart's'commentary on mediation in lieu of discipline is especially insightful and is excerpted as Attachment C. Regarding other ways to promote mediation to officers and community members, MATT offered its s~pport for several suggestions from Ms. Stewart, including: a Consider effects of mediating on an officer's. record, i.e., if mediation is selected, what information regarding the initial .complaint and its disposition is tracked, where does that information reside, who has access to It, and for how long is it retained? These questions have potential impacts 'on public records law and employee contractual agreements and were not discussed in any depth. However, MAlT advises that these issues be addressed so that employees who mediate a complaint do not have. a potentially negative remark on their records for doing so. a Select ca~s appropriate for alternative reso~ution as early in the PTOC!JSS as f) possible, when community members are. most motivated to resolve their issues and ~ memories are most fresh. Impatience about delays in addressing the case can also make mediation less. appealing. a Add questions about alternative resolution options to the complaint intake forms. Several communities ask complainants whether they would consider mediating their complaint, or even specify "I would consider speaking directly with the officer with a mediator present," in their complaint forms. This has the advantage' of both increasing awareness of the options and alerts the complaint screeners to incidents where mediation is of immediate interest. o 1'dentify a knowledgeable person in an education and outreach role. It is essential that the complainant be able to make an informed decision, with a real understanding of the process and the potential benefits and consequences for an i~temal investigation versus mediation. Some peop~e will have fears or concerns about mediation, but even those who are pleased at the opportunity to mediate often have questions about how the process' works and what to expect. Likewise, people inside the organization 'who can confirm that mediation is a safe alternative to the internal affairs process with tangible benefits to the empl.oyee are needed. o Locations and scheduling should be as convenient as possible. To maximize participation and to minimize the problem of complainants dropping out of the process or failing to show up for a scheduled mediation,.it is helpful to include the parties in the selection of location and scheduling to give them some ownership of the process, and to ma.ke the scheduling as convenient as possible. Flexibility for scheduling changes requested Paae 11