Mediation brings together two or more interested parties to reconcile differences and to reach a voluntary agreement or settlement. In some cases, mediation is very informal; a supervisor arranges for the police officer and the complainant to talk in private. In other more typical cases, the process involves a trained mediator who runs a formal session at a neutral location. During the mediation session, the mediator first works to help the parties clarify the underlying issues or points of disagreement. Once the mediator and the parties have a clear understanding of the incident, the next phase focuses on reaching a positive resolution. Examples of how formal mediation programs operate in Minneapolis and Rochester are described that show mediation benefits are most likely to occur when misunderstanding, miscommunication, or lack of communication are the primary factors in the dispute between a police officer and a citizen. Limitations of mediation programs are also noted.