What is the Law Enforcement Challenge?
The Law Enforcement Challenge is a friendly competition of highway safety programs between similar sizes and types of law enforcement agencies. It is coordinated by the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and is supported by a grant from the Virginia Highway Safety Office. The Challenge recognizes and rewards the best overall traffic safety programs in Virginia. VACP & DMV believe an increase in traffic enforcement and education in a community results in a decrease in motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities. (The 2011 Challenge takes place in 2012 and is so-named because it pertains to traffic safety activities in 2011.)

The main areas of concentration include efforts to enforce laws and educate the public about occupant protection, impaired driving, and speeding. Departments submit an application (usually in a three-ring or presentation binder) that documents their agency’s efforts and effectiveness in these areas. The winning safety programs are those that combine officer training, public information and enforcement to reduce crashes and injuries within its jurisdiction.

The Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge program is run in partnership with the National Law Enforcement Challenge program coordinated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Every application submitted to the Virginia Challenge is automatically entered in the National Challenge, and Virginia agencies  have done very well in the national competition. Last year, 11 Virginia agencies won national awards, including the top two awards: the Clay Hall Award for the best traffic safety program in the nation went to the Virginia Beach Police Dept. and the award for the Top Sheriff's Department Traffic Unit went to the Wythe County Sheriff's Office!

Why should a department or multi-jurisdictional taskforce enter the Challenge?
This competition is a unique way for law enforcement agencies to increase their attention to traffic safety. It provides opportunities for recognition of exemplary programs, incentive for continuing traffic safety activities, and documentation of agency effectiveness that can be used in future grant proposals. Every agency participates to some degree in traffic safety programs, so participation does not require a great deal of extra commitment on an agency’s part. Merely documenting current activity has produced many winners. This documentation can help provide accountability and prove the value of a strong traffic program. Being recognized as a winner brings a great deal of positive attention to a department, possible benefits at budget time, and enhances an agency’s reputation as a department that is “tough on crime” yet prioritizes safety.

Why should I attend this workshop?
Whether your agency is a regular participant in the Challenge or has never entered before, this workshop is designed to help both the veterans improve their entries and show the rookies how to put an application together for the first time. Examples of past entries will be available for attendees to browse through and learn from and we'll answer attendees questions about agencies' judging results from the previous year.

Attending one of these informative workshops does not obligate your department to enter the 2011 competition — you may just decide to take the opportunity to learn what to do in 2012 to enter next time! (NOTE: DCJS in-service credit has been requested and is pending approval for this course.)

Six FREE workshops are being offered in February to help your agency prepare for the upcoming competition. Register today!