Advancing 21 st Century Policing : The Arlington Police Department Report to the Community
COMMUNITY POLICING AND CRIME REDUCTION
Mentoring our youth Arlington officers mentor students and volunteer as tutors in after-school programs but some new initiatives are preparing youth for upward mobility in life . The Mentoring Arlington Youth Program is an award-winning crime prevention initiative involving the Arlington Independent School District , Workman Junior High School and the Arlington Municipal Court Juvenile Diversion Program . Eighth graders are assigned an officer mentor and together they journey through an 18-month life skills curriculum . In a partnership with the Junior League of Arlington , the program expanded in 2017 to include female officers and a curriculum for girls .
Officer shows young man how to knot his tie at a Dress for Success workshop .
Arlington clergy lead community prayer rally .
Coach 5-0 is another new student mentoring partnership with the Arlington ISD . This program is aimed at strengthening the bond between officers and student athletes . On practice fields , volley ball courts , sidelines and in weight rooms , officers are building trust , helping our adolescents cope with life and the pressures associated with being a student athlete .
Violent crime reduction efforts The Arlington Police Department deploys many crime reduction strategies but a recent effort is aimed at addressing violent crime . The department was tracking an increase in violent crimes involving robbery and aggravated assault and the enforcement strategies already in place were focused on offender detection and crime prevention . A task force was created , comprising of officers from the following units : Robbery , Gang , Street Crimes Tactical Intelligence , K-9 , Covert , Traffic and the Media Office . Together , everyone is working to seek , identify and address criminal activity using real-time intelligence in target areas .
Theft prevention and reduction A unique program has been put in place to address an increase in crime at one our nation ’ s largest retail stores . The Walmart Restorative Justice Program has won awards for the way it is shifting the focus from detention and apprehension to prevention . In the first year , theft and shoplifting arrests dropped 61 percent . First-time offenders are offered employment opportunities upon completion of the program .
Program helps to address repeated incidents of domestic violence .
Addressing repeat instances of domestic violence What started as six-month pilot program has been fully implemented to serve victims of domestic violence . Project Raise is helping to reduce repeat instances of family violence . A multi-disciplinary team approach involves social service teams and law enforcement working together to address the issues that repeat victims face . Their work takes them into the community to visit the locations of victims , educate and inform .
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