How To Get Local Government Cooperation in the Nonviolent Cities Project
People around the country are looking for ways to take the lead in addressing violence and injustice in their communities. After seeing how punitive policies perpetuate these issues, many seek ways to root out the violence that is built into the structure of power. Dozens of groups have begun their own Nonviolent Cities Projects to bring people together to grow Beloved Community by replacing the systems that cause harm with nonviolent alternatives. That is where you come in.
Let’s say you formed a Nonviolent Cities Project for your city. You’ve got a great group of dedicated members who work on projects to create a holistic, just, and peaceful city. You may have been in existence for a while now, hosting events, doing demonstrations, leading marches, holding nonviolence education programs, and doing humanitarian work. Still, you are feeling stymied by ongoing violence in your community, and it seems that the people in power are not doing much about it. How can you expand your impact?
Here are some practical tips from my experience coordinating Nonviolent Morro Bay, California. We are a small city that struggles with poverty, homelessness, low-paying jobs, high cost of living, housing insecurity, and domestic violence. After seeing community animosity towards homeless people on a local social media site, those of us concerned with these issues, formed our Nonviolent Cities Project in 2016. We faced challenges, some setbacks and unexpected success with organizing to shift the structures of power. This is an ongoing process of continued dialogue with community members, city officials, and police.
The Problems
It doesn’t matter if you live in a major metropolitan city or a small town, the problems of violence are similar. While a large city may have more incidents of physical violence, even tiny towns of only a few thousand people suffer with murder, suicide, domestic violence, racial and gender incidents, poverty, homelessness, inhumane attitudes, questionable values, and more. Your group likely formed as a response to these problems, recognizing the need for something like what the Nonviolent Cities Project offers—a way to foster peace, promote understanding, generate economic opportunity, educate children with nonviolence as a primary element of the curriculum, improve the quality of life of those in need, and shelter the homeless. You know that a Nonviolent City is a place of compassion, forgiveness, and love. You also realize that establishing this new type of city requires collaboration and cooperation with the people who form and enforce government policy. In other words, you need to connect with your mayor, city council, sheriff, and police departments. How do you do that?
The Next Steps: Building Relationships
Your group has identified specific violence problems, not necessarily just physical violence. You ascertained whether these problems are citywide or neighborhood issues. Now you have a workable list of what needs to be tackled, what is already being done, and how successful these actions are. When considering what is already being done, include discussion of who is taking that action. Many active community organizations have websites, which can be a good place to discover what their goals and values are. Does your group’s vision of a Nonviolent City match the missions of other organizations? If yes, it’s time to reach out.
After familiarizing yourself with what other local groups are doing, ask to collaborate. Get one or two of your members to attend their meetings and introduce themselves as members of the Nonviolent City Project of your city. Have them bring printed material explaining what the Nonviolent Cities Project is about and invite members of their group to attend your meetings. The more diverse your group is, the stronger it will be as you progress to engaging city government.
Finding a Media Friend
Even as the Nonviolent Cities Project gains momentum across the country, many of us find it challenging to get the word out about the work we are doing. For this, a friend in the media is worth more than gold. Review your area’s newspapers to see what journalists write on the topics of interest that your group is working on. Newspapers run current news items on front pages and feature pieces or community news further back. Often, certain journalists are assigned to those pages— they are the ones you want to connect with. From there, a phone call or email is all that is needed to begin a relationship. Journalists and editors are always looking for new material. You can find direct email addresses for journalists and editors on their websites.
While you can tailor your approach to suit the situation (in-person, by phone, or by email), it will help to prepare what you will say ahead of time so you can feel confident about presenting your information. Open by asking if you might talk to them about your organization addressing issues of violence in your community. Be specific and make it relevant to your city. Focus on any topics you and the newspaper have in common. Ask if they have heard of your group or are familiar with the concept of nonviolence. Briefly explain how Nonviolent Cities came about and why you feel it is important for your community. Aim for two or three sentences with the goal of inviting dialogue. Come from a place of service to them, indicating your cooperation to offer them information on ongoing events. Invite the journalist to a meeting or even meet them for coffee or lunch to discuss what your group is all about and the activities that may be of interest to the public. This may open the door to securing a media person on your board or committee.
The same method can be used for contacting broadcast personalities or news anchors. Most newscasters have easily found email addresses, sometimes showing up on screen during news reporting, or available on the station’s website. You can also try calling the program director of the station’s news department. Don’t overlook contacting broadcast personalities who have on-air entertainment shows, especially if they are local. Again, be prepared with what you are going to talk to them about, so you don’t stumble during the conversation. Your goal with this is to develop an ongoing relationship that will aid in promoting what your Nonviolent City Project is doing and thereby attract new interest and members.
Foray Into Politics
Most important is to build a relationship with your city government officials. This may seem like a daunting task, especially in large metropolitan cities, but it is doable. To begin, research how the city functions. What type of government is it? Is it a mayor/city manager type? Is the mayor the primary decision-making person or does the city manager have the final say in policy? Are there city council members? Is the entire city represented by all the city council members or are they assigned to specific areas or neighborhoods? Is your city made up of boroughs and are there borough chiefs involved in directing the city? How does the city police force figure in? These are all things you need to know and be familiar with before attempting contact.
Once you know what type of government you have, you need to know the process by which they accept community input. If it is a mayor/city council style, city council meetings must be held. Here is your best opportunity to introduce your organization to government officials. Begin by attending a few meetings to learn their procedures. They may accept public comment, usually at the beginning of their session or at the time an important issue is going to be discussed and voted upon. This is your chance to get your face and name before them.
Some council meetings allow people to approach the podium to speak randomly. However, most will have a procedure such as obtaining a number from the city clerk before the meeting begins. It is best to try to obtain a low number to be at the podium early in the public comment section. You don’t want to wait until the council is tired of the discourse and their eyes are glazing over. Also find out how long you are allowed to speak. Some councils limit public comments to three minutes so be prepared with what you are going to say to make the most of your time.
You are now introduced to the governmental body of your city. They know your name, the name of your organization, and why you are speaking to them. From there, ask for permission to come to their offices to speak with them in more detail and ask how best to do that. You may find out it is as easy as calling for an appointment from an administrative assistant. Now you have your foot in the door!
Dealing with the Police
Getting the ear of the police chief may seem even more intimidating. It’s understandable that you might not want to walk through the door of the police station and just ask to see the police chief. However, depending on where you live, that could be one of the best ways to achieve exactly what you want. While certain changes to police activities can occur from community input, most police training protocols come from the state. This does not mean you can’t suggest ideas to reduce harm in police actions. With the nationwide issues of police brutality impacting communities, what your group has to offer may be just what the chief is looking for—a good way to show meaningful improvement in their approach.
If your organization can be viewed as an aid to their jobs, you may find you will obtain a firm footing with them. Some police departments are more interested in making changes than others. If they can adopt policies like citizen review boards, body cameras, de-escalation, training anchored in nonviolence, or even help to advocate for a mental crisis response team, then you should push them to do so.
For example, in Morro Bay, California something needed to be done regarding how police handled racial incidents which were on the increase. Nonviolent Morro Bay asked the chief to create an advisory committee where members of the community would work with the department to incorporate better nonviolent communications into police procedure. While we were aware that this tiny shift would not address the full scope of the problem, this change was designed to start a process of further change within the police department.
Soon after establishing this committee, the police chief offered more community involvement by bringing back the annual Citizens Police Academy. This ten-week course allows community members to learn about how the police department works and why they handle certain incidents in the way they do. Attendees even do simulation training where they must decide whether to use force in a situation. This training is the exact same training that police academy students must go through and can help participants understand the structure of police stops and how best to address the potential dangers.
Before you begin, consider if it is possible to introduce yourself and your organization safely. Bring another member of your group with you. Most law enforcement departments have a chain of command. If you cannot reach the Chief, try for the Commander or the desk sergeant. Many departments have a Public Information Officer. Ask for any of these at the front desk and state why you want to speak with them. Explain that you are offering them help with the problems of violence in your city. Come from a place of service. Tailor your comments to your knowledge of how often they handle violent incidents and that your group desires their safety as much as community safety. The object is to get a conversation going.
If your other steering committee members feel comfortable with this, you could even ask if they could appoint one of their personnel to become a member of your organization. Though this collaboration can be powerful, please reflect on whether this is appropriate in your situation. Many marginalized groups have been targeted by the police and do not feel safe around cops.
Whether connecting with your local government, local police, or local media, the goal is to take next steps that will be impactful in fostering a culture of nonviolence in both individuals and institutions. Where to focus your efforts will depend on what your Nonviolent City is currently doing. Do you need actions on policy or promotion? Are you working on something that needs allies in the public or positions of power? No matter your answer, you can use these steps to build relationships and invite even unlikely collaborations to co-create significant nonviolent change.