Summary
The use of mediation to resolve citizen complaints against police has not gained much acceptance within law enforcement. This research was conducted within the Calgary Police Service and was designed to uncover some factors that influence a police officer's decision to participate in the Citizen Complaints Mediation Program. A Likert-style survey was used to evaluate the respondents' opinions of the Calgary Police Service Citizen Complaint Mediation Program. The survey questions focused on four main categories including knowledge of the complaint mediation program, support of alternative dispute resolution programs, willingness to participate in the mediation program, and perceived fairness of treatment should they participate in the mediation program. Results were examined based on gender, years of service, education, previous dispute resolution training, and previous complaints. Research findings indicated little variation in the support of the Citizen Complaint Mediation Program based on these factors.