Chief’s Message
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On behalf of Team APD, I am privileged to
present the 2018 Arlington Police Department
Annual Report. Throughout this report, you
will find stories of compassion, heroism, and
how we serve the community each and every
day. The support that our elected leaders
provide is instrumental in the success of our
operations, and we have a city management
team dedicated to support our community
initiatives and employees.
I am so proud of our community achieving
first place for National Night Out. Community
participation and citizen engagement efforts
are vital to the long-term successes that
our department strives to achieve. Make no
mistake about it, this is not an easy award to obtain. While we have been in the top
ten for many years, bringing the top award home was an incredible feat, and we
owe it to the citizens of Arlington and our dedicated employees. The strength of our
city lies in Arlington’s “can do” spirit. This spirit can be seen in our residents, our
business community, and our employees.
The Arlington Police Department made significant progress in our ongoing
efforts to reduce crime and improve the quality of life for our neighborhoods and
for our visitors. Our 2018 focus included targeting known offenders, illicit drugs and
illegal guns. We know that in many cases, the nexus of repeat criminals, illegal drugs
and illegal guns are associated with a majority of the violent crime we experience.
In 2018, we created a new Gun Crimes Unit to combat gun violence. Our
effective enforcement focused on reducing the prevalence of gun violence in our
community, including the pervasiveness of road rage incidents and the harm that
goes along with reckless driving. Beyond gun violence and aggressive conflict
between drivers, our DWI Unit continued to remove dangerous and impaired drivers
from our roadways.
Youth investment and mentoring continued to be a central priority for the
department. From mentoring student athletes, elementary and junior high students,
to high school students in our Hometown Recruiting program, we are striving to
help shape young minds with positive influences that build greater rapport and trust
in the community and help our youth reach their full potential. In 2018, we were
proud to publish a Community Policing Story in conjunction with the Department of
Justice COPS Office to assist other agencies in learning about the way we provide
policing services in Arlington.
There are so many compelling stories to tell in this report. I hope you enjoy
reading and learning more about our department. This report highlights the
commitment and testament of our brave men and women who work for your
hometown police department.
Will D. Johnson
Police Chief
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| 2018 Annual Report