I need your help with a project that involves helping out the Madison Police Department. But first, a quick note of thanks to those of you who showed up to the Midvale Heights Neighborhood Watch Christmas party / meeting last evening. We had nearly 90 attendees, which considering the weather, is a standout number. For those of you I met for the first time, it was a genuine pleasure. Chief Koval was his usual captivating self. His presentations are consistently informative, yet he manages to generate at least a few chuckles and belly laughs from his audience. Last evening was no exception. Kudos to the volunteers who made this event happen. And ditto if you brought a gift to donate to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services. Wendy Reichel, one of the event's main organizers has boxes of items she'll be dropping off at DAIS. Your generosity will make a difference in the lives of domestic abuse victims. Now, onto business . . . One of the original points of this petition was "for the city to rescind the $400,000 study of police policies and procedures." This didn't happen. The Madison Common Council & Mayor Soglin approved the study, and chose the OIR Group to lead it. It's a waste of resources and an insult to MPD, I know. But this is what we have to work with, and while we can't change the Council's decision (as senseless as it is) we *can* make sure OIR knows how highly most of Madison regards Chief Koval & his officers. This is where you come in. Actually, this effort can't succeed without you. So this is what I'm asking of you . . . Please call and / or email the following four OIR Group Principals (their contact information is towards the bottom of this post.) * Don't be content to be part of the silent majority. Take a stand when it counts. * Your call or email should be personalized, but here are a few talking points you may want to consider using. This is a concise list, and in no way reflects all the good MPD does for us. 1. Tell them the Madison PD has exceeded the recommendations for policing set by President Obama's task force. Please visit the following link to read MPD's point-by-point response to each of the recommendations. http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/documents/21stCenturyPolicing.pdf With regards to the community outreach recommendation, the Madison PD has excelled, by executing a myriad of programs including: Black Youth Academy, Latino Youth Academy, Amigos en Azul, Community Corrals, community & neighborhood watch groups, Fireside Five-Ohs, Coffee with A Cop meetings, to name a few. 2. Tell them Chief Koval received the "Top Cop" award issued by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The post highlights just several of Chief Koval's accomplishments: https://www.doj.state.wi.us/topcops/top-cop-madison-chief-police-michael-c-koval 3. Tell them about an act of kindness you've witnessed by a Madison police officer. A small portion of what our officers do is actual law enforcement work - they're also social workers and friends. Acts of kindness are the norm at the MPD, but rarely get media coverage. (I've even seen one handing out clothes & supplies to the homeless.) 4. Remind them that a vocal minority of Madison residents are distrustful of the police, but that the majority have deep respect for this department. Please be factual and polite when you contact OIR. The First Amendment is a beautiful thing . . .but in my experience, how you communicate is as important as what you communicate. Passion? Yes. Anger & demeaning verbiage? No. And finally, please share this with others. The more letters and support we can generate to OIR, the better. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. CONTACT INFO OF WHO TO CALL AND / OR EMAIL: Michael Gennaco 323-821-0586 michael.gennaco@oirgroup.com Stephen Connolly 562-922-9337 stephen.connolly@oirgroup.com Cynthia Hernandez 323-333-7546 cynthia.hernandez@oirgroup.com Julie Ruhlin 562-335-5443 julie.ruhlin@oirgroup.com All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons