Crime Prevention Unit

Mission Statement

The mission of the Crime Prevention Unit is to develop, implement, coordinate and evaluate departmental crime prevention efforts. These efforts are aimed at protecting the citizens of Norfolk from victimization by anticipating, recognizing and assessing the crime risk opportunity and initiating appropriate action to eliminate or reduce the opportunity for crime to occur.

The Crime Prevention Unit offers a variety of services in order to achieve our mission which include, but are not limited to the following:

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is a powerful tool that brings citizens together to make their neighborhood a safer place to live.

Residents are more familiar with their neighborhood than anyone and are the most qualified to recognize when something is amiss. Neighbors work in partnership with the police department to identify suspicious or unusual people, vehicles, or activity that may indicate a developing problem.

Crime Prevention officers are available to assist with developing a Neighborhood Watch Program in Norfolk’s residential communities.

Business Watch

Business Watch works in the same way as Neighborhood Watch, except that it is tailored to meet the needs of the business community.

This is achieved through partnerships with various business and professional groups and the police department.

A business watch can keep businesses within a geographical area aware of important crime trends and related information.

Civic Leagues

The City of Norfolk has more than 150 active civic organizations. Many civic league members are involved at the neighborhood level, as well as at the state and national level. A strong civic league is important for combating crime in neighborhoods and Neighborhood Watch is one tool that civic leagues can use to assist with these efforts. Crime Prevention officers can address criminal activity and neighborhood concerns within the scope of each civic league, and offer education and awareness programs to assist members in recognizing and combating crime.

Security Surveys

Crime Prevention officers will inspect a residential or commercial property at no cost to the property owner. Once the inspection is complete the officer will provide a written report that identifies areas where the owner has done a great job with security, and will make recommendations on improvements in design elements such as locks, lighting, or landscaping where needed. Call the Crime Prevention Unit at 757-664-6901 to schedule your Security Survey today!

Safer by Design

The Safer by Design philosophy recognizes that neighborhood environments can either encourage or discourage criminal activity. Crime Prevention officers utilize the principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), a major component of Safer by Design, to identify the design elements that make it easier for criminals to operate. Through access control, territoriality, and natural surveillance – the ability to observe the natural surroundings, Crime Prevention officers help citizens take corrective measures to strengthen their personal security. These are the same principles that are applied when officers conduct residential or commercial security surveys, and when participating in the City’s Site Plan Review Committee which reviews all new construction and major renovation plans.

Environmental Crimes

Environmental crimes can have a huge impact on quality of life for a community’s residents. Investigation of environmental crimes and enforcement of environmental codes falls on the shoulders of our Crime Prevention officers. These duties are performed in partnership with officers in each patrol division, and with other agencies throughout the city.

Speaker’s Bureau

The Crime Prevention Unit acts as the speaker’s bureau for the police department by providing a variety of subjects for presentation to citizen groups. Some of the subjects available include personal safety, workplace violence, burglary prevention, identity theft, holiday safety and gang awareness. Contact the Crime Prevention Unit to schedule a presentation on any of these subjects, or if you have a subject that is not listed but would be relevant to your community’s needs.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

The Norfolk Police Department and the Crime Prevention Unit recognize that not all programs are appropriate for every audience. Accordingly, the Crime Prevention Unit is responsible for programs that are designed for specific audiences.

Police Athletic League

Youth crime has become a serious issue in our society. The purpose of the Police Athletic League is to provide recreational activities for youth as an alternative to involvement in activities that could lead to criminal conduct or gang involvement. The Police Athletic League also seeks to foster positive and trusting relationships between police officers and Norfolk’s youth.

Police Explorers’ Post 191

Law Enforcement Exploring is a program designed to help youth who have an interest in a career in law enforcement gain insight through a variety of programs that offer hands-on career activities. Exploring promotes the growth and development of youth through participation in these activities.

Exploring is open to young men and women who have completed the 8th grade and are between the ages of 14 and 21. For more information contact the Crime Prevention Unit or go to http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/index.html

Seniors Programs

Crime Prevention officers participate in programs designed to address the needs and concerns of our senior community. TRIAD – named because of its three-way partnership between the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), International Association of Chief’s of Police (IACP), and the National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) – and SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) work to increase senior citizen’s awareness of public safety concerns through education and community involvement. The TRIAD/SALT partnership also seeks to develop and manage crime prevention projects and programs that reduce senior crime victimization in an effort to improve the quality of life of its senior citizens. The Fire Warden and Apartment Watch Community Team (FACT) is a coalition of mid-rise residents who represent their community in matters of fire safety and crime prevention. FACT seeks to educate residents about fire safety and evacuation procedures, as well as participates in Operation Identification (marking property to make it hard for criminals to dispose of) with the help of Crime Prevention officers. FACT members are also active in the Norfolk Neighborhood Crime Prevention Coalition.

Crime Prevention for the Hispanic Community

In 2006 the Norfolk Police Department launched a program designed to meet the needs of its Spanish speaking residents. Hispanic residents in Norfolk are an under-served population because of language barriers and cultural perceptions that keep some Hispanics from trusting law enforcement officers. The goals of the Hispanic Crime Prevention officer are to reach out to our Hispanic neighbors, bridge the gap in communicating with our Spanish speaking population, and to seek ways to positively resolve law enforcement issues. Contact our Crime Prevention Unit for more information.