The Evanston Police Department received the 2010 Community Policing Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, according to an IACP news release last week.
As one of four winners in categories distinguished by population size, the EPD is an example of “community policing at its best,” the news release noted.
This is the first time EPD has been selected for the award since the accolade’s creation in 1998, said Todd Miller, the director of IACP’s Community Policing Committee.
“We don’t give out an award just to give an award,” Miller said, adding that no agency serving populations between 100,001 and 250,000 residents met IACP’s expectations for quality.
Miller explained that the award recognizes law enforcement agencies in 140 member countries for exemplary interpretation of community policing, a philosophy that encourages departments to solve problems through partnerships in the area. In two rounds, a total of 37 judges examined the involvement of the entire agency, the relationships developed in the community, the quality of planning, the initiatives taken and the transportability of one agency’s experiences to another organization facing similar problems.
Miller said EPD impressed judges with two programs. The first, crime prevention through environmental design, required EPD members to ask citizens what in their neighborhoods was fostering crime, and resulted in a significant decrease in illegal activity. The second program, the Safer Neighborhood Area Project, focused on improving crime rates on the 1900 block of Jackson Avenue. In 2007, that block generated 1,200 calls for police attention, but Miller said that by working to rebuild trust with citizens, EPD saw a 70% drop in crime.
The EPD will be honored at a private reception for the winners, finalists and specially recognized departments on Oct. 24 and at IACP’s Annual Conference Banquet in Orlando on Oct. 27.
“It’s a great reflection on the Evanston Police Department and the community. It shows the value of partnerships,” Miller said. “Evanston should be proud of their agency.”