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Motorola, International Association of Chiefs of Police Recognize Outstanding Law Enforcement Programs


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Motorola, International Association of Chiefs of Police Recognize Outstanding Law Enforcement Programs

SAN DIEGO . - Law enforcement agencies from around the globe that successfully fought against serious violence - through professional training, a retuning of the judicial system and a focus on gang crime - will be honored today by Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Motorola and the IACP annually seek out and recognize innovative law enforcement programs that can serve as role models for other agencies.

Winners of the 16th annual IACP/Motorola Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement will be honored today at the IACP’s 115th Annual Conference in San Diego. The award, which is named for the IACP’s first president, attracted a field of 156 applicants that wanted to share their positive experiences with their peers.

The winning agencies this year are European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX); Bundi District Police, Rajasthan, India; and Cincinnati Police Department.

“I applaud this year’s IACP/Motorola Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement winners, and I am grateful for our longstanding partnership with Motorola that makes it possible to salute these agencies,” said IACP President Ronald C. Ruecker, director of public safety for Sherwood, Ore. “These law enforcement agencies are leading the way for our profession. I am certain that these innovative programs will serve as a blueprint to help others develop and strengthen their agencies to make their communities safer.”

"Motorola is proud to salute the award winners and highlight the programs that have brought such well deserved recognition to their agencies,’’ said Jim Welch, corporate vice president, Motorola. “We are especially thankful for their participation, as together we can share their best practices with law enforcement leaders throughout the world, enabling others to implement those practices that can best help them serve their own communities.’’

Winning programs
The European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq; Brussels, Belgium

The EUJUST LEX program based in Brussels and Baghdad, Iraq, has trained more than 1,800 senior members of Iraq’s criminal justice system since July 2005. They in turn train their staffs in Europe’s “best practices” of policing with an emphasis on respect for human rights.

Initially launched as a one-year program, the EUJUST LEX has conducted 95 courses and is slated to continue into 2009. The EU member countries fund the leadership training for police, as well as courses aimed at the judicial system to deal with money laundering and organized crime, and prison management techniques that comply with international human rights standards.

“Having worked in Iraq in 2003 and having observed the enormity of the initial challenges facing the Iraqi Police Service (IPS) and those attempting to help reform and reconstruct it, it is very satisfying to have designed and developed a sustainable leadership development program which has already provided professional support to a critical mass of IPS leaders,” said Stephen White, head of the EU’s mission.

The fact that so many Iraqi criminal justice officials are seeking training is a testament to the program’s efficacy. “The Iraqi government and all its ministries involved in criminal justice have asked for more EUJUST LEX activities and this is being currently debated,’’ White said. In addition, the Iraqi Prime Minister is on the record praising the program as a way to improve security in Iraq.

White concluded, “As leaders we should all be seeking for excellence--especially in a challenging area like Iraq. Therefore, the importance of the Webber Seavey Award as a recognition and a method for sharing excellence simply cannot be underestimated.’’

Case Officer Scheme; Bundi District Police, Rajasthan, India

Professional, hardened criminals had wreaked havoc with the judicial system by intimidating witnesses and hiring the best defense attorneys in the Bundi Police District of India over the last 25 years. So police officials in the city of 1 million people took on the challenge of realigning coordination with prosecutors to boost the conviction rate for the worst criminals.

When the Case Officer Scheme (COS) began in 2004, the general conviction rate was 58 percent, and crimes by repeat offenders rarely ended in conviction. Since the implementation of the COS, the conviction rate for criminal cases tracked in the program has averaged 90 percent.

“The quick disposal of cases, very high probability of conviction and the possibility of harsh sentences put the fear of law into the minds of hardened criminals,’’ said Lata Manoj Kumar, superintendent of police and project coordinator, COS for district Bundi.

The program counteracts endemic victim intimidation through close monitoring of the accused and the cancellation of bail for those attempting to harass or influence victims. The assignment of these cases to specific police officers also has expedited trials because those officers have tighter control of forensic evidence and improved working relationships with prosecutors. Police maintain closer contact with witnesses, who can receive escorts to court if needed. In addition, the Chief Justice of the High Court issued formal orders to all courts calling for them to take COS cases as top priorities.

In a tribute to the district’s success, the COS has been expanded to the entire State of Rajasthan. The COS project coordinator for the State of Rajasthan, Dr. M.K. Devarajan, said some police personnel still are reluctant to support such community policing initiatives. He said, “Recognition from a top professional body like the IACP will hopefully put their doubts to rest.”

Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence; Cincinnati, Ohio

As officials in Cincinnati saw the number of homicides increase steadily since the late 1990s, even though the population had decreased, they looked for innovative ways to stem the tide. Working with multiple law enforcement and social service organizations, and eventually civic and political groups, the city’s police department kicked off the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) in 2007.

Through research, officials found that almost 75 percent of homicides involved a victim or offender who was already known to law enforcement. Since those who already had criminal records committed so much of the city’s gun violence, the city could monitor those individuals because they were on parole or probation.

To get the CIRV off the ground, the city conducted mandatory “call-in’’ sessions, which put previous offenders on notice that the community would no longer tolerate the violence. Offenders learned that police and the courts would use their limited resources to specifically target crimes performed at the behest of gangs and groups, which meant that plea bargains would be denied and parole and probation could be revoked.

The linchpin of the program has been the city’s offer of social services and job training to violent career criminals and gang members who had no other life plans. After hearing about the “new order’’ of crime fighting, gang members could be assigned an advocate to help them navigate to a law-abiding life. The “call-ins’’ also gave families of homicide victims a chance to describe the pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence. Since August 2007, more than 200 violent group members have chosen to receive social services and job training.

“We realized we had to do something different and there had to be a better way to deal with crime than simply arresting people,” said Col. Thomas H. Streicher, Jr., police chief. “Group/gang involved homicides have been reduced 38% through the first year of the program. Our success is extremely contagious and we know we are turning lives around.”

While the criminal justice system has been driving the CIRV, the business community is also involved, lending strategic planning expertise to ensure that the program maintains its success.

Streicher continued, “Receiving this award would not be possible without our partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement working with social services and the community. We are a safer community due to CIRV.”



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