Committee extends special honors for Homeland Security success
Roanoke, Va. - The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and ITT Industries Night Vision (ITT) has selected five agencies from 135 entries to receive the 2004 Community Policing Award. For the first time, three agencies were recognized for their efforts in Homeland Security.
This year’s five winners are prime examples of community policing best practices. Their entries demonstrate the meaningful change that can occur when empowering law enforcement officials and their communities to utilize all available resources for crime prevention. The winners are:
- Population fewer than 20,000 residents: Irwindale Police Department - Irwindale, Calif.
- Population of 20,001 to 50,000 residents: New Brighton Department of Public Safety - New Brighton, Minn.
- Population of 50,001 to 100,000 residents: Gastonia Police Department - Gastonia, N.C.
- Population of 100,001 to 250,000 residents: Royal Bahamas Police Force - Nassau, Bahamas
- Population of 250,001+ residents: Boston Police Department - Boston, Mass.
In addition, the committee selected nine finalists. They are:
- Population fewer than 20,000 residents: District Police of Adilabad: government of Andhrapradesh, India; Mount Rainier Police Department; Mount Rainier, Md.
- Population of 20,001 to 50,000 residents: Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department; Los Gatos, Calif.;
- Population of 50,001 to 100,000 residents: Police Service of North Ireland - Castlereagh District Command Unit, United Kingdom; New Rochelle Police Department - New Rochelle, N.Y.
- Population of 100,001 to 250,000 residents: Coral Springs Police Department - Coral Springs, Fla.; Fontana Police Department - Fontana, Calif.
- Population of 250,001+ residents: Los Angeles Police Department - Los Angeles, Calif.; Tucson Police Department - Tucson, Ariz.
For the first time, the committee created a special recognition within a Homeland Security category and acknowledged the efforts of: Santa Ana Tribal Police Department - Pueblo of Santa Ana, N.M.; Cobb County Department of Public Safety - Marietta, Ga.; and District Police of Adilabad - government of Andhrapradesh, India. These honorees demonstrated in their programs how community policing philosophy and practices are integral in terrorism prevention and response. Through involvement, awareness and action, agencies and communities moved another step closer to winning the war on terror.
Award winners will be honored at the IACP’s annual conference banquet in Los Angeles on November 17. The committee will honor winners, finalists and specially recognized agencies at a private reception. Additionally, the IACP’s Community Policing Workshop, on November 15 from 1-3 p.m., will feature representatives from winning departments as part of a panel discussion around community policing and homeland defense.
Community Policing and Homeland Defense
“The role of community policing has become even more important as communities around the globe ramp up their Homeland Security efforts,” said Gary Kempker, chairman of the IACP’s Community Policing Committee and Missouri director of corrections, “This year we had more entries than we have had in the six years we’ve presented these awards. This indicates that the communities are seeing the benefits to this change in philosophy. Additionally, we noted a trend in how agencies successfully are using community policing methodologies to prevent and respond to terrorist activity”
ITT and the IACP’s Community Policing committee developed the Community Policing Award in 1998 to recognize outstanding community policing initiatives by law enforcement agencies worldwide.
“Community members have the greatest understanding and stake in finding and solving the root causes of crime,” Larry Curfiss, ITT vice president and director, Business Development, “Through community policing efforts, law enforcement continues to make its communities safe from crime as well as terrorist activity.”
A preliminary judging panel of 15 and a final panel of six chiefs of police and law enforcement officials reviewed more than 135 nominations from the United States and 12 international entries from five countries (Canada, India, Ireland, Bahamas and Korea). The first panel selected the top 16 nominations. The final panel reviewed these nominations to select 11 finalists and five winners. Law enforcement agencies were eligible to nominate in five categories based on population.
About The IACP
The International Association of Chiefs of Police is the world’s oldest and largest nonprofit membership organization of police executives, with more than 19,000 members in more than 100 different countries. IACP’s leadership consists of the operating chief executives of international, federal, state and local agencies of all sizes.
About ITT
ITT Industries Night Vision, based in Roanoke, Va., is the world.s leading developer, producer and supplier of Generation (Gen) 3 image intensifier technology for U.S. and allied military forces as well as Federal, state and local law enforcement. The company also offers night vision products for select consumer applications, such as outdoor recreation.
ITT Industries, Inc. (www.itt.com) supplies advanced technology products and services in key markets including: fluid and water management, including water treatment; defense communication, opto-electronics, information technology and services; electronic interconnects and switches; and other specialty products. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated $5.63 billion in 2003 sales. In addition to the New York Stock Exchange, ITT Industries stock is traded on the Midwest, Pacific, London and Frankfurt exchanges.
For copies of winning submissions, please visit www.nightvision.com or contact Marcy Walsh at (310) 659-5380.