When it comes to claims of racial profiling, the individuals alleging the behavior often feel stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to articulating their concerns. That’s why the Los Angeles Police Department has launched a mediation program to give those parties a chance to air their issues.

The new program will have voluntary participants, and the program will be driven by trained mediation volunteers to help guide the conversation. If an officer has been accused of racial profiling, he or she can have their internal investigation closed by the department if he or she participates in the mediation program in good faith (except in scenarios where officers have two prior similar complaints on file).

The mediation program was developed after Los Angeles saw continued increases in the claims about racial profiling. It was seen as a sticky situation with little to no opportunity for resolution, but the mediation program gives voice to the concern and allows individuals to move forward with a claim. Los Angeles is not the first to attempt to use mediation to resolve some of these claims, as it follows suit from San Francisco and others committed to dispute resolution outside of traditional processes.

Racial profiling has been a challenge for larger urban police departments across the country, and although investigative teams have been in place in most areas, victims felt that those investigations led nowhere. The charging records matched; In Los Angeles, no officer accused of racial profiling was ever found guilty. The new program hopes to find a way to weed out legitimate cases and to put a stop to officer behavior that indicates racially profiling pattern behavior. The mediation program is seen as a big step forward in recognizing the problem and giving alleged victims a safe and neutral space to share their stories, hopefully pinpointing and stopping some legitimate incidences of racial profiling.