Dayton is joining the National Civic League Hall of Fame in recognition of its police reform work and its four “All-America City” awards. The Hall of Fame award recognizes previous All-America City awardees that have implemented a community-driven initiative resulting in significant local impact due to community engagement.
The League is recognizing Dayton for community engagement surrounding the police reform initiative that was launched in mid-2020 and developed more than 140 recommendations identified by five working groups co-chaired by and comprised of over 100 community volunteers and members of the Dayton Police Department.
Reform measures resulting from the initiative include policies and practices related to oversight, transparency, community engagement, use of force, and recruitment. The recommendations emerging from the working groups were reviewed and accepted by the Dayton City Commission, with implementation complete or underway.
A Commission work session updating the progress of the implementation efforts will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 4 p.m.
“We are happy to welcome Dayton into the Hall of Fame,” said Doug Linkhart, National Civic League president. “The recent police reform initiative shows that the community is still embodying the ideals of an All-American City and is committed to the practice of civic engagement.”
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr., added: “By utilizing several diverse community voices and partners, we re-imagined what community engagement in policing looks like. There is still more work to do, but this process has already resulted in positive outcomes. I am pleased that our effort has been recognized with national praise.”
The City of Dayton is sharing a video about the success of the police reform initiative. The video and others related to police reform, including profiles of community volunteers, is available in a video archive.
Dayton earned the All-America City designation in 2017, 1991, 1978, and 1951. The award honors municipalities demonstrating outstanding work in civic innovation, inclusion and collaboration.
The National Civic League, founded in 1894 as the National Municipal League, continues to support and recognize municipal civic reform and excellence. Theodore Roosevelt, one of the League’s founders, called on Americans to “be actors, and not merely critics of others” at the first conference on good city government.
