The D.C. government is in the process of hiring several critical leaders, including the schools chancellor and police chief. The public should be included in the vetting process for these positions and be allowed to engage around important issues, including providing input on an ongoing basis, not just testimony at public hearings.

The District was fortunate that the previous chancellor and chief served for five and nine years, respectively, providing stability during a time of rapid growth and change in the city.

In their time here, Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier implemented important changes that created a better school system and safer streets. The chancellor kept her foot on reform and made difficult but important decisions, including closing underenrolled schools. The chief consolidated units overly focused on specific constituencies and ended the controversial “jump-out” teams that were tactics of an older era. Both leaders served the city with selflessness and passion.

Trust in major institutions and elected leaders is at an all-time low. One trend we see developing across the country is a desire for the public to be more involved in decision-making. That’s a belief that conservatives and progressives embrace.

Facilitated online and face-to-face dialogue has been shown to restore public trust in government and institutions. In the District, regular citizen summits led by then-Mayor Anthony Williams (D) laid the groundwork for citizen participation and greater governmental transparency and performance. The renaissance the District now enjoys can be traced to the variety of ways that his administration listened to residents in the wake of the federal control board takeover and inefficiencies of the Marion Barry administration.

The next chancellor and chief will be taking over agencies far different from what their predecessors inherited. We should hire new leaders who understand that the 21st century will be increasingly fast-paced, interconnected, interdependent and complex. It’s time to unleash the power that we have in our citizenry and include residents in influencing public policy and in identifying ways to combat persistent challenges, such as the learning gap between white and black students, and make our residents the eyes and ears of public safety.

There are no more important institutions in our city than schools and the police and none more directly connected to residents; among the first interview questions we should ask job candidates: “How will you include District residents in solving your agency’s toughest challenges?”

Our residents do more to raise our children and keep our streets safe than any District government policy or leader, and we want to help identify solutions.

The writer, founder of Emergent Action, is director of advancement, partnerships and continuing education at the University of the District of Columbia.