IACP and Motorola Announce 2000 Webber Seavey Award Recipients

Among a field of 205 nominees, three departments were selected to receive law enforcement's most distinguished honor, including the

• Fontana, Calif., Police Department,
• the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the
• the Richmond, Va., Police Department.

Jointly sponsored by the IACP and Motorola, the Webber Seavey Award is presented annually to agencies and departments worldwide in recognition for promoting a standard of excellence that exemplifies law enforcement's contribution and dedication to the quality of life in local communities. The award is named for Webber S. Seavey, the IACP's first president.

"Our Webber Seavey winners exemplify agencies that are able to deal with change by thinking of solutions in new ways," said Col. Michael D. Robinson, IACP president and director of the Michigan State Police. "IACP is proud to provide recognition for these innovative law enforcement leaders."

Tom Frazier, director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) for the U.S. Department of Justice, and Jim Sarallo, Motorola senior vice president and general manager, North America Group, joined Col. Robinson in making the formal presentations.

"Motorola is proud to co-sponsor the Webber Seavey Awards program as a catalyst for the exchange of ideas and proven law enforcement strategies among agencies and departments worldwide," said Sarallo. "Effective solutions are being implemented everyday that deserve to be recognized and emulated."

The Fontana Police Department is being honored for its DRY2K, teen alcohol prevention, education and enforcement program. The campaign includes an interactive multi-media presentation, a cast of cartoon characters created to educate and entertain and hands-on demonstrations that allow students to experience the effects of alcohol-related crashes firsthand. Developed with the assistance of local high school students, the program also includes an educational component for alcohol retailers. Since its inception, more than 96 percent of participating high school students reported the program changed their attitudes toward alcohol use. Retail alcohol sales to minors also decreased by 80 percent.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department earned its Webber Seavey recognition through an innovative approach to managing a rapidly growing homeless population and related crime rate. The Homeless Evaluation Liaison Program (HELP) was created in April 1992 to enhance police service and strengthen the department's relationships with local shelters. Two officers have spearheaded what is largely a community policing effort, with dramatic results. With minimal financial investment, HELP has delivered significant reductions in all felony crime categories, including robbery (down 71 percent) and burglary (down 54 percent).

Richmond, Va., once had an unwelcome claim to fame—it consistently ranked among the top 10 cities nationwide for homicides per capita. To address the problem, the Richmond Police Department instituted Project EXILE, a multi-dimensional partnership among local, state and federal law enforcement officials and prosecutors to reduce gun violence. Federal firearm laws are now strictly enforced to punish those who engage in gun violence. In addition, the number of individuals sentenced is continuously reviewed to analyze the effectiveness of the program. Since its inception in 1996, Project EXILE has reduced homicides by 47 percent and violent crime by 35 percent, changing the Richmond culture and uniting the community.

"Complex, community policing problems require innovative solutions," said Frazier, "just the type of solutions exemplified by this year's Webber Seavey Award winners. The program continues to spotlight the value of innovative thinking in addressing law enforcement issues."

Seven other agencies and programs were recognized as 2000 Webber Seavey Award finalists. They include the Belleville, N.J., Police Department, "Belleville Community Court"; High Point, N.C., Police Department, "High Point Violent Crime Task Force"; Honolulu Police Department, "Community Area of Responsibility Plan"; Lansing, Mich., Police Department, "Mentor Program"; New Castle County, Del., Police Department, "CrimeSTAR"; Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, "Force Investigation Team"; and Wichita, Kan., Police Department, "Integrating Community Policing into Investigations." For information on these or the other award winning programs, contact the IACP at 800-843-4227, ext. 209, or visit the IACP website at www.theiacp.org.

All nominated law enforcement programs were evaluated against five criteria:

• their impact on improving services available in the community;
• how they strengthened police relations with the communities the agencies served and whether the programs promoted greater community participation in local law enforcement activities;
• how effectively available resources were used;
• whether the programs enhanced communications within, and cooperation among, local law enforcement agencies;
• the creativity of the approaches developed and whether they raised the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement services provided.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police is the world's oldest and largest non-profit association for law enforcement executives. Established in 1893, the IACP has more than 18,000 members representing 101 nations. The IACP is headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1999 were $33.1 billion. For more information, please visit the Motorola web site at http://www.motorola.com.