(Washington, DC) Since the District of Columbia’s Office of Police Complaints (OPC) opened in 2001, the agency has regularly conducted community outreach and made presentations to numerous organizations, community groups, and schools throughout the city.

OPC has conducted and will continue to perform outreach to diverse segments of the public that have included, among others, high school students, civic associations, social service providers, taxi cab drivers, as well as community groups and advocacy organizations.

“It’s very important for us to reach out and inform the public of our agency’s mission,” said Philip K. Eure, executive director of OPC. “While promoting greater police accountability in Washington, DC, we strive to improve policing and ultimately increase the public’s confidence in the District’s police force.”

OPC’s student interactive training program continues to be an integral part of the agency’s outreach efforts.  Beginning in April 2007, OPC partnered with the American University Washington College of Law Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project to offer student interactive training sessions at 11 high schools in the city.  The training focuses on promoting positive interactions between Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers and District youth through role-playing and peer education.

If you or your organization are interested in arranging a speaker to attend an event, or if you wish to obtain materials about the agency, please contact OPC’s public affairs specialist, Nykisha Cleveland, at (202) 727-8327. For additional informational about OPC and our Community Outreach program, visit our website at www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.