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Radford City Council adopts resolution to pursue Certified Crime Prevention Community designation
Summary
Council heard a presentation from Sergeant Emily Hyde on the Certified Crime Prevention Community program and voted to adopt a resolution designating the Radford City Police Department's Community Engagement Unit to pursue certification from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
Radford City Council voted to adopt a resolution to pursue designation as a Certified Crime Prevention Community through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
Sergeant Emily Hyde of the Radford City Police Department gave a presentation outlining the yearlong process, saying, “This is a year long process,” and describing program elements the department already has in place such as neighborhood watch groups, school resource officer (SRO) involvement in school safety audits, business outreach with the Chamber, and a variety of community programs. Hyde said the program requires a statement of intent, a development phase with core requirements and proof of meeting those requirements, an assessment by DCJS and a final DCJS board vote.
The resolution the council adopted states that the governing body of Radford City “wishes to participate in the Certified Crime Prevention Community Program” and designates the Radford City Police Department Community Engagement Unit to represent the city in the process. Mayor Warren read the resolution aloud before the motion to adopt. The motion passed by voice vote; council did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes.
Council members asked how neighborhood watch groups are formed and what residents must do to participate. Hyde said Officer Nestor leads the neighborhood watch effort and that groups may form around defined neighborhoods or as smaller street-based groups; programs can vary by neighborhood and may include in-person or virtual (for example, Facebook) communication. Hyde described the unit’s role as a liaison: “We tell them, like, some of the core things that they really need to focus on, and that we'll be able to build what they want.”
Council members and the mayor emphasized the department’s existing community-engagement efforts and noted potential secondary benefits of certification, including being more competitive for grants. Hyde and Chief Holdaway described accreditation-related work already underway and said many of the program’s standards are already met in practice.
The resolution takes effect upon adoption in January 2025. The council recorded no separate direction to staff in the meeting minutes beyond designating the Community Engagement Unit as the city’s representative to the DCJS program.
