Awards
The Webber Seavey Award Program.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police and Motorola jointly sponsor the Webber Seavey Award Program. Specifically, law enforcement programs are recognized for their effectiveness in addressing one or more of the following goals.
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Continuing improvement of services to the community.
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Strengthening police relations with the communities they serve and promoting community participation.
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Using available resources more effectively.
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Enhancing communications within, and cooperation among, law enforcement agencies.
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Developing creative and innovative approaches that raise the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement.
International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the world's oldest and largest non-profit association for law enforcement executives. Established in 1893, the IACP has over 14,000 members representing 74 nations. The IACP is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
Motorola
Motorola is one of the world's leading providers of wireless communications, semiconductors, advanced electronic systems and services. Major equipment businesses include two-way radio, cellular telephone, paging and data communications, personal communications, automotive, defense and space electronics and computers. Communications devices, computers and millions of consumer products are powered by Motorola semiconductors.
Webber Seavey Award winning programs demonstrate how police services everywhere are providing the quality services their communities ask for, despite challenges that stretch available law enforcement resources.
According to U.S. Attorney General, Janet Reno:
"Programs such as the Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement are invaluable in ensuring that good work is recognized; raising public awareness, understanding and support for quality policing; honoring the accomplishments of law enforcement professionals; adding to the profession's body of knowledge about law enforcement techniques; and serving as a catalyst for continued innovative thinking,"
The Peel Regional Police Award
Peel Regional Police created a sophisticated process to better help abused children through the justice system and into treatment with minimal personal trauma.
The service assigned a full-time coordinator to monitor police policies and activities as well as serve as a liaison with other police services, the justice system, social agencies and victim support groups. They reassigned responsibility for child abuse investigations to over 30 designated child abuse investigators in the department's Criminal Investigation Bureau. All of these investigators received special training through a certification program offered by the Institute for the Prevention of Child Abuse.
A new protocol was established in which police officers and staff from the Peel Children's Aid Society work together on all investigations. The police also created special interview rooms for the victimized children, further reducing the trauma they might feel when talking with investigators.
The results of all these measures have been impressive. Parents of victimized children routinely comment on the positive impact on their children of the special interview rooms. The program coordinator has enhanced the relationship between the police and community service agencies, and sent a strong signal to the community that child abuse investigations are a police priority. As importantly, the number of guilty pleas by child abuse offenders has risen.