Although only one case was mediated in 1999, all parties reported that the process was worthwhile and an important alternative to the adversarial Board of Inquiry conclusion to the complaint process. The complainant and the officer were able to talk with each other and come to understand the incident from the perspective of the other person. A difference that may make mediation less attractive in the complaint context than in personal disputes is that the officer and the complainant usually do not have an ongoing relationship with each other they therefore do not have a vested interest in coming to a mutual understanding about the incident. Other civilian oversight jurisdictions that have successful mediation projects have reported that in cases in which both parties commit and mediation does occur, the results are remarkable. The PRC Regulations provide that cases filed during the extension period do not require officers to be involved in Boards of Inquiry and cannot be considered for disciplinary action.
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