Cooperation, Communication land Involvement with Citizens

Effective crime prevention combines efforts of citizens and police working together. In Newport News, the Police Department’s Community Policing Division works with 120 neighborhood watch groups and the Newport News Crime Watch Coalition in proactive activities to combat crime. Communities with active neighborhood watch programs have fewer burglaries, larcenies, vandalism and other property crimes. Recognizing that the use of the word “crime” in “crime watch” may subconsciously prevent residents of a community from actively embracing the concept, the Crime Watch Coalition and Community Resource Officers (CROs) in the Police Department have been actively working to change the program from a “crime watch” to a “neighborhood watch” focus.

Citizens’ knowledge of and familiarity with the police officers who patrol their neighborhoods, and better communication between police and citizens are important elements in improving cooperation between police and citizens in fighting crime. The police assigned to patrol specific neighborhoods are expected to attend community meetings in their areas. At these meetings, police provide citizens with information on criminal activity in their neighborhoods and receive feedback, making citizens more aware and proactive in crime prevention. Providing the media and schools with information on crimes, particularly those involving children, gives information to parents. As an additional communication tool, the Police Department maintains crime statistics on its web site. 

The Police Department fosters an atmosphere of open and candid communications between officers and community members to combat crime.  Besides regular neighborhood watch events, town hall meetings are held regularly in various areas of the city. The department works with Newport News City Channel (CH48) to present a weekly television show that informs the public of public safety and other City news related to crime, police activities, and other items of interest.  The department is working to establish a Chief’s Citizen/Business Advisory Board, which will enhance communication and encourage citizen involvement.

The Newport News Police Department is also active in the federal Weed and Seed initiative, whose mission is "to promote comprehensive strategies to reduce crime and revitalize communities".  The Southeast Community of Newport News was designated as a Weed and Seed site in June 2003.  Efforts are underway to implement strategies and enhance existing programs to improve the quality of life for the residents of this area.  The "Community Assistance Program", "Young Marines", and "Community Cleanup" have all been a successful part of the program.  Future plans for the Weed and Seed program include incorporating programs for housing restoration, domestic violence intervention, and GED training.

Special Programs

Citizen Ride Along Program

Increased understanding of police work further enhances the cooperative relationship between police and citizens. The “Citizen Ride Along” Program is one of the more popular ways for the public to experience police work in their communities.   It offers people the opportunity to ride with a police officer and observe, firsthand, the officer’s duties.

Citizen Police Academy

The Citizens Police Academy (CPA) gives citizens the opportunity to learn more about policing through attendance at a series of classes. These classes offer participants a better understanding for what a police officer has to face on the street. Graduates of the program provide the Police Department with a well-informed cadre of individuals who become ambassadors for the Department and the City and provide a pool of enthusiastic, trained volunteers.

Citizen Police Academy for Seniors

The Citizen Police  Academy program has been so popular in the community that in 2001 it was expanded to include a Citizen Police Academy for Seniors (CPAS).  These sessions rotate between faith communities in the South, Central and North Police precincts.  They allow the Department to foster working partnerships with the faith communities in the areas they serve.

Citizen Police Academy for Youth

During the summer of 2002, another component of the Citizen Police Academy program was initiated.  Geared for teens between the ages of 14 and 17, this interactive program engages teens in role-playing and other hands-on exercises, combining all the basic principles and classes of the regular academy in a five consecutive day camp-type atmosphere.  CPAY has become a popular component of the Citizen Police Academy program, and expanded into a separate, and equally popular "Leadership Camp" in 2005, partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Hampton Roads.

Citizens on Patrol

The Police Department’s Community Resource Officers (CROs) give neighborhood watch groups the training necessary to start Citizen On Patrol (C.O.P.) programs in their communities. The Citizen Police Academy programs and the C.O.P. program help bolster the interaction between the police and citizens.  They also increase lines of communication and encourage more citizen involvement in policing their communities.

Multicultural Training

To better prepare for working with CPA Alumni, members of the C.O.P. program and various neighborhood watch groups, each officer attends multicultural training. This training, in conjunction with standard training helps them better understand and communicate with the city’s increasingly diverse citizenship.

The city has found itself with an expanding Spanish-speaking population.  To address the communication and cultural issues, the Police Department offers its officers training in “Survival Spanish”.  The Department has also held a series of “Police/Community Familiarization Effort” sessions in various areas of the City to bridge communications and cultural gaps, provide contact information and basic crime prevention tips, and encourage Spanish-speaking citizens to report crimes to the Police. These sessions are held in churches and businesses to provide more comfortable venues. Further, the Department has a Hispanic Advisory Board, and has developed a “Language Line” link to the 9-1-1 Emergency Communication Center, which gives non-English speaking citizens an easier method for reporting incidents and emergencies, and requesting assistance.