Remko de Boer, The Netherlands
Remko is a 60 years old police officer. He joined the Amsterdam police force at 18 and never left the force; in the last 15 years, he has worked in the South of Amsterdam. Part of his work is on innovation (either consultancy or actual work implementation) for starting new ways of doing police work. Remko was inspired 20 years ago in a meeting with Frans Denkers who worked in the police force as well as a psychologist and free thinker: Frans is the one who introduced Remko to abolitionism and resilience. "People don’t need the criminal system to solve conflicts", says Remko.
In the past 5 years, Remko launched some studies and experiments within the police force to research whether or not mediation is a way to help people solve problems themselves. Mediation is now as part of the daily routine in policework, in cases of domestic violence, juvenile crimes, stalking, conflicts between neighbors, traffic accidents. The police facilitates mediations at the individual level and adopts other methods to build relationship (e.g. ongoing communication and dialogue with groups of young persons) more at the preventive level. The results are promising and are expanding slowly and steadily in the police force.
Emma Goddard, UK
Emma is the manager of the Essex Restorative and Mediation Service in the UK. The service was set up by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and delivers restorative work to individuals and communities who have suffered anti-social behaviour or crime. Emma is a certified trainer, RJ practitioner and mediator and began her RJ career in prisons where she received her first Restorative Services Quality Mark. Emma also holds a degree in Forensic Psychology.
Emma will present the Police and Youth Forum undertaken following a period of significant tension amongst the community following a death at the hands of a young person. The project saw us working restoratively with the community and schools and was followed up with a forum in which only young people and police officers were invited in order to relieve some tensions and build relationships and understanding. One of the officers who attended the Forum will come to the webinar.
Vanessa Westley, USA
Vanessa is a now retired 29-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. In her capacity as trainer and community engagement strategist, she co-managed the ORJS Virtual Reality Pilot that created virtual reality training tools for community and officers by hosting a series of story circles throughout community with officers. Vanessa is also a youth advocate, a restorative justice practitioner and national trainer specializing in law enforcement restorative strategies and full school and community implementation of RJ practices.
At the Chicago Police Department, Vanessa co-created and coordinated “Bridging the Divide” a restorative policing strategy to authentically engage the community of youth and emerging adults while assigned to the Office of Restorative Justice Strategies. The goals of the process include fostering positive youth leadership for community safety, and building the capacity of officers to practice restorative, trauma-informed policing. The process also invites the broader community to be part of the relationship building and understanding the impact of trauma, particularly upon youth and emerging adults.
Micah Johnson, USA
Micah is a sociologist trained in criminology and substance misuse epidemiology. He serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida. He is also a Board Member of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. Along with Jeffrey Weisberg, Micah co-authored "The Little Book of Police Youth Dialogue: A Restorative Path Toward Justice" (2021). Micah’s research centers around childhood trauma, behavioral health, and juvenile justice. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and has been cited by the New York Times, Senator Bernie Sanders, and others. He has been an advocate for social justice for the past 14 years. Micah trains, speaks, and teaches internationally on topics related to trauma, poverty, antiracism, and sustainable peace. He serves in the state and federal court system as an expert witness and facilitator where he leverages the science of trauma, disadvantage, and substance misuse to empower the justice system to make more informed decisions.
