Restoring order in our neighborhoods with alternative policing

The value of human life has diminished. The village that once raised a child is in foreclosure, and the cornerstone of successful policing and law enforcement, also known as community policing, has been compromised with radical violence, racism, and mutual distrust for each other.

Minnesota Community Policing Services is a nonprofit, non-governmental solution-based public safety organization that was created to tackle the issues that now plaque our communities and have ripped the fabric of our society.

We call for change in the way our government does business, change in narrow-minded thinking when it comes to people of color, change in the way in that certain members of society settle their disputes, and we call for those police officers who may be well intentioned but who allow their ego to dictate their unwillingness to be open minded and to build bridges instead of walls.

The time to restore order to our neighborhoods is now, alternative policing on all levels must be pursued to regain the safe and enjoyable quality of life that we as citizens are entitled to in the constitution and to maintain a free society.

We believe that community policing is a concept that should be adopted by all local police departments and law enforcement to build relationships, develop and maintain healthy trustworthy working partnerships. However, each police department and law enforcement agency has a different definition of what community policing is and how they implement it.

Minnesota Community Policing Services believes that there are three primary goals and objectives to make community policing successful:

1. A broader police and law enforcement program.
2. Building community relationships and fostering citizen involvement.
3. Specific tactics targeted as particular problems rather than general tactics such as regular patrol and rapid response.

Minnesota Community Policing Services that I formally founded in 2013. I am a St. Paul native, born and raised with deep roots in Minnesota. And I am the organizations first chief executive officer sworn in to office on January 1, 2013.

I have an extensive background in public service and law enforcement both public and private. I served three terms as Commissioner for the City of Roseville Human Rights Commission (eight years), and I currently serve as the president of the League of Minnesota Human Rights Commissions, deputy assistant advisor to the vice president of the Republic of Liberia, special magistrate certified by the Minnesota Supreme Court under Rule 114, and I am serving a second term with the Ramsey County Review Board.

When creating Minnesota Community Policing Services, I felt that the issues that I was engaging in in my governmental capacities and as an independent special public safety consultant and political advisor were much bigger than myself, and required an expanded more organized effort to effectively ascertain and provide meaningful realistic resolutions for the challenges of today.

Minnesota Community Policing Services is governed by an executive board of commissioners who are individuals 21 years or older who are commissioned with the authority to set policy and direction and overall supervision for the organization. They represent nine areas of service whenever possible:

1. Public law enforcement
2. Private law enforcement
3. Education
4. Clergy or faith-based initiatives
5. Human/civil rights
6. Business
7. Citizen
8. Health and human services
9. Legal counsel

Minnesota Community Policing Services currently provides service in the following areas:

• Public safety and assistance
• Community response and dispute resolution
• Missing persons search and rescue
• Human and civil rights

To find out more information about the structure, current activities or to request service, go to our website www.mncps.us or like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter.

David A. Singleton is chief executive officer of Minnesota Community Policing Services.