In December of 2017, the Newport News Police Department received notification from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) that the Department’s Community Crime Prevention Program had earned recertification as a Certified Crime Prevention Community Program – one of only 12 jurisdictions in the state of Virginia. On March 7, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., members of the DCJS will come to Newport News Police Department Headquarters to present the recertification award.
In 1998 an Executive Order created the New Partnership Commission for Community Safety, charged with the responsibility of advising the Governor on new initiatives to “promote community safety, particularly youth and family safety.” The Commission worked diligently to assess the needs of localities across the Commonwealth and assist them in addressing their individual community safety issues.
The Commission asked the Department of Criminal Justice Services to recommend programs that foster the development of community safety initiatives at the local level. DCJS proposed, and the Commission approved, the Certified Crime Prevention Community Program. The goal of the program is to publicly recognize and certify localities that have implemented a defined set of community safety strategies as part of a comprehensive community safety/crime prevention effort.
“Re-certification guidelines are very comprehensive and multi-faceted,” said Lt. J.P. Smith, who oversees all community programs for the Department. The 26-page certification and recertification manuals outline requirements including goals and objectives for all programs, a gap analysis, core community safety elements and optional community safety elements.
“I’m very proud of the daily work our Community Programs Division does with our School Resource Officers, Community Resources Officers and throughout the entire Division. They work very close with our citizens and take great pride in building lasting relationships that most definitely help reduce crime in our city,” said Michael Grinstead, Acting Chief of Police.
For more information on crime prevention and community safety programs provided by the Newport News Police Department, visit nnva.gov/police.