By Sentinel Staff
On Tuesday night, Nov. 19, Greenwich Police Chief Jim Heavey accepted the NEACOP Community Policing Award on behalf of the Greenwich Police Dept.
The award was presented by Groton Police Chief L.J. Fusaro, Jr., who serves as Vice President of the New England Association of Chiefs of Police (NEACOP). The ceremony was held during the banquet that culminated the organization’s annual regional training conference. This year’s training was held in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
The association explains on its website, “NEACOP has for a number of years evaluated police departments throughout the six New England States for their efforts in community policing. This was originally a work of the New England Community Policing Organization, but that agency ceased to exist several years ago.
“NEACOP, aware of how important community policing is, especially in the New England states, decided to take on this process and continue to recognize the best agencies in our region. The award is not given for a program, but rather the entire agency’s efforts in achieving a successful community policing program. The agency and its members have embraced a community policing policy that is present in its work and interaction with the community.
“NEACOP has a committee of recognized Police Chiefs in Community Policing and academics at Roger Williams University, RI and Norwich University that scrutinize each applicant to decide on awarding those that are the best. The committee is limited to three awards, but will limit it further if they feel that that fewer have reached the goals they set.”
Heavey told the Sentinel, “We received the award because of our numerous community outreach programs, from our Citizens Police Academy to our two Explorer posts, our Women’s Self Defense Class, and our numerous crime prevention programs offered by our Community Impact Section. We do toy drives for Barbara’s House, we do food drives for Neighbor to Neighbor, and for many years we have run our signature ‘Battle of the Badges’ blood drive for the Red Cross.”
“The award also highlights our very successful Organized Retail Criminal Activity Team (ORCA). The ORCA team connects with local businesses then works with the bike team on Greenwich Avenue to make numerous arrests for fraud and larceny.”
The GPD previously won the NEACOP Community Policing Award in 2017.
