Mediation Response Unit
Who Are We?
We are a City of Dayton program under the umbrella of the Dayton Mediation Center and are an alternative response team that responds to low emergent 911 calls within the City of Dayton. Our program was formulated after the police reform talks began in 2020 and the working groups identified recommendations for the community of Dayton. We are a team of trained responders with a wealth of experience and certification in areas such as crisis response, de-escalation, conflict resolution and community development and relationship building.
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How to Report a Complaint:
Please contact the
Mediation Response Unit direct line at:
What Is MRU?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Our Purpose?
The big picture goal is to work on improving community police relations, provide alternatives to police response in our community as well as to reduce the number of 911 calls for certain low emergent situations and allow officers more time to take the higher emergent calls. We are providing an alternative response to 911 calls of various situations that include but are not limited to: noise complaints, neighbor/roommate disputes, barking dogs, loitering, unruly juvenile complaints.
How Will We Respond?
We will have a call taker that receives calls that have been made to 911 and deemed appropriate for the MRU. If the situation can be resolved with a phone call, the caller will be provided with information, connected to resources and case management services provided, should the caller be interested. If an on-scene response is warranted, a two person team will be dispatched to the scene to intervene with the situation the caller initiated the 911 call for. Connection to resources, follow up and case management services will available to the parties involved.
What are the Hours of the MRU?
The MRU will be providing response Monday through Friday from 11am to 8pm. The hours for the MRU derived from the research done on Dayton’s 911 calls during a six week time period in the fall of 2021 in which the 11 am to 8 pm timeframe noted the highest number of MRU appropriate calls were found to be taking place.
Will the MRU Respond to Mental Health Calls?
While there is likelihood that many of the calls the MRU will take may have some components of mental health, that is not the focus of the MRU. Currently, Montgomery County ADAMHS funds the Crisis
Now program that can be reached at 833-580-2255 for mental health
related calls. The program does not currently go through 911 but does
provide a resource for mental health related calls.
Crisis Lifeline is now available 24 hours a day at 988.
Who Do I Contact if I Have Questions?
If you have questions, concerns or would like to provide feedback about this new initiative, you may reach out to the MRU Coordinator, Raven Cruz Loaiza, via email at raven.loaiza@daytonohio.gov or by phone at 937-333-2301.
How do I report a complaint?
Please contact the MRU direct line to report a complaint at 937-333-2333.
Meet The MRU Team
Raven Cruz Loiaza
Mediation Response Unit Coordinator
Raven joined the Dayton Mediation Center team in 2022 as the Mediation Response Coordinator for the newly developed Mediation Response Unit (MRU). The MRU derived from the City of Dayton’s police reform initiatives and is in place to provide the community of Dayton with on scene alternate response options for non-violent incidences that arise. Raven comes to the Center with a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise.
Josh Bedink
Mediation Response Specialist II
Joshua’s career at the Dayton Mediation Center began in 2022 when he joined the newly formed Mediation Response Unit as a Mediation Response Specialist II. Joshua brings with him over 20 years of experience and training in conflict management, de-escalation techniques, and nonviolent crisis intervention. He is certified in CPI by the Crisis Prevention Institute. He is a trained
Transformative Mediator.
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Nicole Fishburn
Mediation Response Specialist I
Nicole joined the MRU in 2023. She is a licensed independent social worker with a supervision designation (LISW-S) with a background in mental health and crisis work. Nicole has worked in victim advocacy, prevention and psychotherapy. She has an undergraduate from Bluffton University and graduate degree from Ohio State University in Social Work.
Nan Paraskevopoulos
Mediation Response Specialist I
Nan started as a volunteer mediator at the Dayton Mediation Center in 2021. She joined the Mediation Response Unit in 2023. Prior to working with the MRU, she worked in alternative response, in shelter services, court advocacy, and hospital response for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Allison Pleasant
Mediation Response Specialist I
Allison joined the MRU in 2023. She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, raised here in Dayton, Ohio. Allison has over 10 years of experience with families in crisis and experiencing homelessness, nonviolent crisis intervention, and conflict management. Prior to joining MRU Allison worked in corrections for over 5 years. Allison has always had a passion to work with and in her community.
Trisha Wert
Mediation Response Team