Pictured, from left to right, are: back row, Booker Neal and Chief Allan McClain; front row, Rick Mayo and Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit. Photos courtesy of Lake County NAACP.

CLEARLAKE – Lake County's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain have partnered to foster a better relationship and greater understanding between the community and police.

The Lake County NAACP and McClain held a press conference at Clearlake City Hall Sept. 12 announcing their working alliance.

This agreement follows a request Lake County NAACP made to the US Department of Justice in February to review, mediate and resolve certain insensitivities perceived by Lake County citizens.

As a result of this request, then-interim Police Chief Larry Todd and later McClain, who was appointed this spring, agreed to an open forum with NAACP officials in conjunction with representation from the US Department of Justice and the state Attorney General's Office.

Initially, NAACP officials reported they were concerned about intimidating language in regard to the rights of all citizens to complain about police misconduct. As the groups worked together, it was discovered that Clearlake Police's procedural complaint process, which Todd inherited from the prior administration, was antiquated and possibly contrary to state and federal guidelines. Additionally, concerns about cultural diversity within the department and the need for sensitivity training were raised.

Lake County NAACP officials, including President Aqeela El-Amin Bakheit, 1st Vice President Rick Mayo and Legal Redress adviser Dr. Nathaniel White, did research with Booker Neal, senior mediator of the Community Relations Service wing of the US Department of Justice. This ad-hoc committee also included Aisha Martin-Walton, chief of the California Community Relations Service under the auspices of the Office of the Attorney General Crime and Violence Prevention Center.

The committee's research found that government guidelines suggest that complaint forms be made accessible without police contact or coercion, i.e. via the police Web site, police lobby and public library.

McClain researched current law enforcement technology with Lexipol, a state-of-the-art law enforcement manual created by attorneys for today's ever-changing, ever-difficult task of police service.

The result of this research and policy discussion was the creation of a revised policy and procedure manual that is inclusive of a section on hate crimes.

A new commendation or complaint brochure also has been created and is currently available in the police station lobby.

Statements by McClain and NAACP officials indicate that all parties are satisfied with the progress and cooperation exhibited in the working alliance.

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