The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, today announced the start of the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance program with the Milwaukee Police Department.

“As part of the collaborative reform process, the COPS Office will conduct a thorough, independent and objective assessment of the Milwaukee Police Department's policies, practices and accountability systems,” said COPS Office Director Ronald Davis. “The findings and recommendations that come from such an assessment will empower the community to hold the department accountable to the best standards of the law enforcement profession.”

Federal representatives for the collaborative reform process laid it all out on the table on Thursday.  They said this process will be transparent, not only that it can't happen without the public’s help.

 They will return January 21 for a town meeting at the Milwaukee Public Library.

As far as the process, 8 to 10 months will be spent with the Milwaukee Police.

The federal office will monitor MPD for six months and keep track whether those recommendations have been put into effect.

COPS Office will issue a public report detailing the findings of the assessment, along with specific recommendations for improvement. The COPS Office will assess progress made in implementing those recommendations over an 18-month period following the initial assessment. Two progress reports will be released tracking implementation of those recommendations.

Six months after that this is almost two years into the process there will be a final report.

And those from the federal department of justice say a lot goes into this process

The COPS Office's Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance is an independent and objective way to transform a law enforcement agency through an analysis of policies, practices, training, tactics and accountability methods around key issues facing law enforcement today. The initiative is designed to provide technical assistance to agencies facing significant law enforcement-related issues. Using subject matter experts, interviews and direct observations, as well as conducting extensive research and analysis, the COPS Office assists law enforcement agencies in enhancing and improving their policies and procedures, operating systems and professional culture.

The COPS Office is currently providing CRI-TA in Spokane, Wash.; Philadelphia; St. Louis County; Salinas, Calif.; Fayetteville, N.C., and Calexico, Calif., and has completed the process in Las Vegas.