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West Richland [population 7,000], is a small upper-middle class community in the south
central part of Washington. In 1997, the police department formed a citizens' advisory
committee that helps the department gauge the concerns of residents in order to help
community policing efforts. The committee found, through informal neighborhood
surveys and conversations, that one of the biggest concerns for most working parents was
proper parenting skills and communicating with teenagers.
Professionals in this community have a history of offering their services on a pro bono
basis, and a number of area psychologists and social workers volunteered their time to
offer parenting workshops to residents. These workshops have covered issues such as
diffusing power struggles between parents and youth and drug abuse education for
parents. Caseworkers who specialize in family disputes and county prosecutors have
presented on such legal issues as spanking and divorce. The local schools send students
home with fliers with information about the workshops (printed by the police department
at no cost), while the local paper and cable station publicize the workshops also at no
cost.
The program's workshops are held in the town's community center, a free resource to
residents. In partnership with the Drew Bledsoe Foundation (ex-resident of Washington
and current quarterback for the New England Patriots), the advisory committee uses the
video tapes of the foundation's Parenting with Dignity program, which stresses
communication between parents and children and shows parents how to teach and model
respectful behavior to their children. Surveys of participants reveal that a majority of the
workshop participants feel more comfortable disciplining their children without anger,
more willing to open the lines of communication with their teenagers, and do recommend
the workshops to other community members with children. Participation has more than
doubled since the first workshop and currently stands at 60 participants per workshop,
which are held four times a year. The advisory committee has received recognition from
the mayor for its efforts.