On January 25th in City Council chambers the Director of Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), Garth Wheeler, presented the City of Virginia Beach with a certificate signifying their recertification as a Certified Crime Prevention Community. Harvey Bryant represented the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, one of the many public safety departments that contributed to this recognition. The strategies of the Certified Crime Prevention Community Program focus on reducing citizen fear of crime, youth violence, gang activity and involvement in drugs. The program encourages localities to develop and implement collaborative community safety plans designed by DCJS. In 2001, Virginia Beach was the first city to be certified in Virginia. Currently, there are only 13 certified programs state-wide.
“This program requires a collaborative effort on the part of several city agencies which includes, but is not limited to, the Police Department, Human Services, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the Sheriff’s Office, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Fire Department,” said Master Police Officer Jim McElligott, the program’s recertification manager. “Your department has played an intricate role in this certification process.”
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