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Police Introduce New Conflict Extinguisher
By: Julie Foster, Lincoln News Messenger
Thursday, December 16, 2004 11:26 AM PST
An extreme situation made Lincoln Police Lt. Brian Vizzusi a believer
in the mediation process.
Now, mediation services will be available to Lincoln residents through the Lincoln
Police Department and the nonprofit Placer Dispute Resolution Service.
Mediation is a path for people to solve problems and come to a mutually
satisfying agreement with the help of a neutral trained mediator with at
least 30-40 hours of training.
Situations that can be solved through mediation services are ones that
involve neighbor vs. neighbor conflicts that have been simmering but have not
escalated to violence or criminal actions, Vizzusi
said. These can involve property line disputes, disagreement over parking
situations or a barking dog, money and debts, family issues, commercial
transactions and property damage. And he knows the process works.
As an officer in Rocklin he was involved in an extreme case of neighbor
versus neighbor conflict.
"Our chief in Rocklin was very upset," Vizzusi
said. "He gave it to me and said 'Deal with it.'
"We
had over 120-plus calls for service, 43 police reports, 20 of which went to
the district attorneys office, and mutual restraining orders, all over a
property line dispute. The disagreement had broadened over a three-year
period to include not only the two male disputants but their wives, children
and the neighborhood."
Vizzusi did some brainstorming about the situation
and along the way picked up a flier for Placer Dispute Resolution Service and
called for assistance.
"There was one mediation session and we have not had a problem
since," Vizzusi said. That was over two years
ago.
"These people were dysfunctional and difficult personalities so we know
this works," Vizzusi said.
He stressed the need for individuals with a dispute to not wait and let the
problem get this bad. Call and get help and don't wait for the situation to
get violent. Besides helping to diffuse possibly violent situations,
mediation has other tangible benefits.
"Mediation costs less than litigation, saves time since there is no
waiting for a court date and the process is confidential," said Cynthia
Spears, the program administrator of Placer Dispute Resolution Service. She
added that since the disputants retain control over the resolution, rather
than a judge or jury, each has vested interest in making it work.
Mediator volunteer Amy Ochi, a Granite
Bay resident, takes
satisfaction in helping diffuse problems. "It's satisfying to assist
people in resolving their problems and model skills to reduce conflict in the
future," she said. "I also like the efficiency of the process.
Certainly there is an important place for our traditional legal system, but
it sometimes takes years and can be costly in terms of time, expense and
emotional toll. Mediation allows the parties to resolve a dispute quickly and
move on with their lives."
There are benefits for police departments as well. The Lincoln Police
Department averages 10 calls a month that could be handled with dispute
resolution, according to Vizzusi. The process can
free up police officers to deal with criminal and violent incidents.
The department wants to get the word out about the program. "We want the
people of Lincoln
to know about how this works," Vizzusi said.
"Our goal is to get the neighbors in mediation right away and not let it
get criminal -don't wait."
Individuals interested in dispute resolution may call Placer Dispute
Resolution Service at 645-9260 for more information.
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