From Trust to Transformation: Sgt. Mary Ferguson’s Journey with Restorative Practices in Law Enforcement
Mary Ferguson is an IIRP student in the Master of Science in Restorative Practices program. She serves as Sergent in the city of Menlo Park, CA, Police Department. Prior to serving in her current position, Sgt. Ferguson was assigned as the first Juvenile Community Safety Officer for the Menlo Park City School District. That position also encompassed the role of School Resource Officer for all schools within city limits. She was tasked with developing and implementing juvenile diversion and truancy abatement programs while teaching a variety of classes to a diverse community. Initially, she faced significant obstacles, particularly the distrust some communities had toward law enforcement. Sgt. Ferguson said, “On my first day, a kindergartener ’oinked’ at me and flipped me off, a clear sign of the work ahead of me.” She persisted and, utilizing principles grounded in restorative practices, began to bridge the divide between the community and local law enforcement.
Q: What brought you to this work?
A: My entry into this work was serendipitous. I was juggling the demands of 22 schools, daycares, and preschools when a conversation with a middle school vice principal and a school district superintendent led us to explore alternative approaches to familiar challenges. We decided to pool resources with a neighboring school district to create more cohesive solutions. From this, we co-founded the "Community Trust," a forum where school administrators, counselors, health professionals, and nonprofits collaborate four times a year to share resources, discuss trends, and tackle common school-based issues. This initiative has endured despite changes in leadership, and I believe it speaks to the power of shared community resources and solutions. We’ve created a strong network that’s helped sustain the work.
A teacher introduced me to restorative justice after attending a course at the Seneca Institute in Oakland, California, and I embraced the concept. I began facilitating restorative justice and peacemaking circles, which empowered young people to take responsibility for their actions. Initially, my police uniform posed a challenge in these circles, but trust, transparency, and compassionate listening helped break down barriers. The most impactful work of my career wasn’t done from my patrol car but in these restorative circles with the youth in my community.
Building trust took time, requiring a 24/7 commitment and networking to form partnerships and resources for the community. I learned that "cookie-cutter" solutions were ineffective, so I provided wrap-around services to meet individual needs. Collaboration with staff, students, and parents guided our efforts.
Q: Please tell us about your professional work now. What makes you passionate about it?
A: I am no longer in the school resource officer role, having been promoted, but I remain closely involved in the network. Currently, I’m part of a committee working to create a juvenile diversion program for three neighboring police departments. With changing laws in California, new challenges have arisen, particularly in dealing with juvenile offenders. We’re rethinking what diversion looks like, collaborating with the Juvenile District Attorney’s office and other stakeholders to develop new strategies that keep at-risk youth from entering the justice system.
Although I miss working directly with the youth, I find my current role rewarding. My passion for contributing to the future of young people remains as strong as ever, and I see great value in serving the community in this capacity. I am bringing restorative practices into my precinct by integrating listening circles as needed, check-in questions into our daily tasks, and being intentional about putting processes in place that support the mental, emotional, and physical health of my staff.
Q: What do you see as the future of this work?
A: I’d like to see greater buy-in from schools and police departments on the effectiveness of restorative practices. Restorative practices should be incorporated into the training curriculum for new school resource officers and taught at the police academy level. Restorative practices techniques have proven invaluable, even for standard calls for service – like neighbor disputes or loud parties. I also apply restorative strategies in my personal life, and it’s been transformative, bringing harmony to my home and improving relationships with co-workers and family members. Looking ahead, I believe that approaching life with empathy and compassion, rather than judgment, can create lasting positive change in both law enforcement and society as a whole.
