Six Selected for National Recognition
Washington, DC — The National Crime Prevention Council announced today the six winners of its national McGruff's 2007 Crime Prevention Awards of Excellence. The individuals and organizations chosen are being honored for doing extraordinary things to prevent crime and create safer and more caring communities.
“It is my honor to recognize these accomplished citizens and organizations that help advance the NCPC mission of helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime,” said Alfonso E. Lenhardt, NCPC president and CEO. “It is the dedication and hard work of many across the country that gives us the opportunity to feel safe and secure as we go about our daily lives at work, home, and school,” Lenhardt continued.
Nick Arlt, Crime Prevention Citizen/Volunteer of the Year
Nick Arlt has spent five years making a difference in the lives of community members in De Pere, WI. Among Arlt’s accomplishments are arranging for his company, Festival Foods, to sponsor National Night Out activities by the De Pere Police Department, raising $50,000 to purchase a K-9 dog for the police department, and raising more than $9,000 through fundraisers and special events in support of the crime prevention foundation of Brown County, WI.
Daryl Pearson, Crime Prevention Officer of the Year
Officer Daryl Pearson has served 26 years as a police officer in Walla Walla, WA. Much of his career has been spent advancing crime prevention initiatives in Washington State. Pearson has instituted 21 different crime prevention programs, taught 15 citizen police academies, and worked to get the state legislature to pass crime prevention resolutions since 1986. He is the current executive director of the Washington State Crime Prevention Association.
Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County, Crime Prevention Program of the Year (Over 250,000 Population)
The nonprofit Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County is a catalyst for community crime prevention activities in Miami, FL. The organization has conducted more than 451 crime prevention presentations and assemblies serving over 33,000 students in the past year, created an innovative prevention curriculum to address a wide range of prevention topics, and helped McGruff make more than 900 appearances in Miami-Dade schools and the surrounding area. Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County ensures that cultural and ethnic diversity are an integral part of its proactive school and community outreach.
Ewa Weed & Seed, Crime Prevention Program of the Year (Local or City of Under 250,000 Population)
The Ewa Weed & Seed organization in Ewa Beach, HI is an outstanding example of successful crime prevention activities that unite residents, law enforcement, businesses, social services, and others to prevent crime and restore community cohesion. Ewa formed 37 neighborhood security watch groups and citizen patrols to reduce significantly the illegal activities occurring in the community. The organization collaborated with Ewa Beach businesses, nonprofits, churches, and residents to conduct a multitude of community events from food distribution, police officers involved as community mentors with EWA youths, and neighborhood cleanup and restoration projects.
Darkness to Light, Crime Prevention Program of the Year (State or National)
Founded only seven years ago, Darkness to Light, headquartered in Charleston, SC, has made a tremendous impact on preventing child sexual abuse. The organization personifies one of NCPC’s four strategic goals—protecting children and youth— in a unique online or in-classroom program that focuses adult attention on this problem, which costs the nation more than $23 billion in direct and related costs. Darkness to Light has trained more than 75,000 adults on how to prevent, recognize, and react to child sexual abuse.
Virginia Crime Prevention Association, Crime Prevention State Association or Coalition of the Year
Virginia law enforcement and other organizations know the value of working with the Virginia Crime Prevention Association (VCPA). VCPA has saved them more than $700,000 in annual training costs and conducted over 110 training courses and presentations that reached nearly 3,700 individuals in more than 200 locations. Using a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, the Virginia Crime Prevention Association hosted two forums for state crime prevention program leaders to discuss opportunities to enhance crime prevention services to areas in Virginia.
The winners will receive their awards at the National Crime Prevention Council’s 8th National Conference on Preventing Crime in Atlanta, GA, on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at a special luncheon celebration. The 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. luncheon will be located at the Hilton Atlanta, 255 Courtland Street, NE.
About the National Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to be the nation’s leader in helping people keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime. NCPC manages public service advertising under the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign—symbolized by McGruff the Crime Dog® and his “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®” slogan—and acts as secretariat for the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, more than 400 national, federal, state, and local organizations representing thousands of constituents who are committed to preventing crime. NCPC is funded through a variety of government agencies, corporate and private foundations, and donations from private individuals. For more information on crime prevention issues, visit www.ncpc.org.
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