MADISON, Wis. — Madison Police are hiring everyday residents to serve in a new program.

What You Need To Know

  • Madison Police, through the Madison Community Policing Foundation, are hiring new citizen boards

  • There will be five members for each of the city's six districts 

  • They want to have as diverse of an applicant pool as possible 

  • Their goal is to open conversations and build relationships 

A growing part of policing is about building relationships with the community. Departments are trying to find new ways to build trust with the people they serve, especially after the paradigm shift in 2020.

It’s why the Madison Police Department is starting a new program across the city called Community Policing Advisory Boards.

“This approach to policing, when really done right, really builds trust and relationships, and results in a safer community for all,” said Liz Merfeld, project coordinator for the Madison Community Policing Foundation. The foundation is managing the program.

They’ll hire 30 people across the city, five for each of Madison’s six districts. The boards will meet with a captain of that district once a month for about 10 months.

“We’re hoping that these groups can develop as organically as possible,” Merfeld said. “They’re going to be involved in figuring out what that looks like. When does it work for that group to meet? Where does it work for them to meet? What kinds of things do they want to talk about? How do they want to start?”

Members of the boards will be paid $75 per meeting. The program is funded through a grant from the Department of Justice.

Organizers are trying to reach people with a wide range of life experiences. That includes people who have experienced unemployment/underemployment, addiction, trauma and even those with a criminal history. Diversity will be key to the program’s success. They said they want to reiterate that people who are worried they won’t have reliable transportation and child care should apply anyway, because organizers may be able to help arrange that for them.

They’ve already gotten more than 65 applications.

“Diversity in terms of age, life experience, ability, disability, race, and so on,” Merfeld said. “We’ve got 60% of folks identifying as white, a little over 20% African-American, followed by Latino, Pacific Islander, multiracial.”

The application process closes on May 26. To learn more, click here.

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