| Officers Receive First Connor Public Service Awards
The Michael K. Connor Public Service Award was established by CCDO to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of its colleague, Michael K. Connor, for his outstanding efforts in promoting law enforcement cooperation and coordination in Weed and Seed efforts. The award honors law enforcement officers for their professional achievements and contributions through public and community service and for their exemplary leadership and outstanding service on behalf of Weed and Seed sites.
CCDO presented the awards at the 2006 Law Enforcement Conference last August, and future awards also will be presented at this biennial event. The 2006 Honorees of the Michael K. Connor Public Service Award are Capt. Philip Kennedy; Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr.; Lt. Jay Freeman; and Lt. Marshall Depew. Read about their contributions to the Weed and Seed initiative below.
Capt. Philip Kennedy accepts the Michael K. Connor award from CCDO Director Dennis Greenhouse.
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Capt. Philip Kennedy
New Britain Police Department
New Britain Weed and Seed Site
New Britain, CT
As part of the New Britain Police Department, Capt. Philip Kennedy's contributions to the Weed and Seed initiative have been not only in law enforcement and community policing initiatives, but also in prevention, intervention, and treatment and neighborhood restoration. He is responsible for many site accomplishments, including enhancing law enforcement activities and reviewing gun cases for possible federal prosecution as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. The captain ensures that police are present at all community meetings and helps establish area activities. Through a number of initiatives, he has played a significant and active role in revitalizing the neighborhood and communicating with area youth.
Captain Kennedy coordinated the Multiple Agency Response to Community Hot Spots Program to target blighted properties for repair within the Weed and Seed neighborhoods. Property owners were called to the sites and given a list of violations from each city agency, which allowed the state to pursue unresponsive landlords through civil litigation. As part of the Connecticut Nuisance Abatement Program, Captain Kennedy helped hold negligent landlords accountable for crimes that occurred on their properties, and he implemented several Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design practices. In addition, he coordinated the Spring Fling Initiative, which targeted drug-related crimes and prostitution and led to 100 arrests.
Along with his extensive work in the neighborhood, Captain Kennedy also helped create many of the activities now available to area youth. He was responsible for the partnership between law enforcement and a local university that resulted in the Central in the City summer youth program on the university campus. He also played an active role in a successful youth bike program, and he encouraged fellow officers to become involved as well. He worked with volunteers and youth to refurbish a space in a city building and convert it into a retail bike shop. Captain Kennedy also established the site's DEFY program and has helped more than 150 children stay away from drugs. Under Captain Kennedy's leadership, communication between police officers and youth has been greatly enhanced.
Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr., accepts the Michael K. Connor award from CCDO Director Dennis Greenhouse.
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Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr.
Athens-Clarke County Police Department
Athens/Hancock Corridor Weed and Seed Site
Athens-Clarke County, GA
Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr., is credited for much of Weed and Seed's success in the Athens/Hancock Corridor site as a result of his vision, commitment, and tireless efforts. His planning and dedication have resulted in sustained crime reductions, rising property values, substantial increases in first-time home ownership by minorities with low to moderate incomes, and continuing efforts to support the youth of the community.
Chief Lumpkin integrated Weed and Seed concepts into the police department's daily operations—training the entire department in community-oriented policing, incorporating additional training into the examination process, and providing training for departmental supervisors and managers in problem-oriented policing. He helped improve the infrastructure of the Weed and Seed sites and ensured that each site had its own police substation. He also requires that his officers attend neighborhood watch meetings, social organization meetings, business owners' meetings, and school functions. Since he was named Chief of Police, the sites have seen a 48-percent decrease in violent crime and a 31-percent decrease in property crime. Chief Lumpkin also plays a more hands-on role with area youth; he reads to and tutors students in the community's elementary and middle schools.
Lt. Jay Freeman (far right) accepts the Michael K. Connor award and stands with Ed Martin, Project Director of the Oklahoma City Office of Weed and Seed, CCDO Director Greenhouse, and Lori Freeman.
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Lt. Jay Freeman
Oklahoma City Police Department
Oklahoma City-Classen Ten Penn Weed and Seed Site
Oklahoma City, OK
In 2004, Lt. Jay Freeman developed a law enforcement response to drive-by shootings in the Oklahoma City-Classen Ten Penn Weed and Seed site, which resulted in a complete cessation of shootings within 3 months. He also worked to create a graffiti removal program. With the assistance of the Oklahoma City Police Department's Graffiti Removal Van—equipped with police radio and amber lights—more than 1,400 locations have been repainted since August 2004. More than 700 sites have been painted a second time with the help of 454 court-ordered community service workers. Lieutenant Freeman's enhanced enforcement efforts have led to a large decrease in Part I crimes.
In 2005, he was instrumental in getting a Dell Computer Call Center built in the Weed and Seed target area, an establishment that will ultimately employ 4,500 people. The lieutenant also created a local law enforcement award that is presented to officers who have demonstrated their commitment to Weed and Seed through extraordinary policing efforts.
Lieutenant Freeman has a personal connection with the community. He attends several monthly neighborhood meetings to provide crime statistics and prevention tips to residents and to listen to the issues they face. He personally follows up on each concern. Lieutenant Freeman also teaches area residents the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and helps them identify areas of their homes and property that could benefit from the application of these principles. Lieutenant Freeman also makes a special effort to reach out to the Hispanic community. He arranged for Univision to ride along with overtime Hispanic Weed and Seed officers, and he helped develop burglary prevention tip sheets in Spanish.
Lt. Marshall Depew accepts the Michael K. Connor award from CCDO Director Dennis Greenhouse.
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Lt. Marshall Depew
Indianapolis Police Department
Westside Weed and Seed Site
Indianapolis, IN
Lt. Marshall Depew established the Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) Unit within the Indianapolis Police Department. In its first year of operation, NRO made 700 arrests in the Westside community; as a result, the Weed and Seed site in the "murder corner of Indianapolis" went 10 months without a homicide. Lieutenant Depew and his team focused on low-level crimes and built a relationship of trust with local residents. The lieutenant and his officers also participate in neighborhood cleanup and restoration activities. They organize youth programs within the site—including bike rodeos, basketball challenges, a Clothe-a-Child drive, and more—and operate a Community Appreciation Day.
Lieutenant Depew employed many different tactics to ensure safety in the neighborhoods, including probation, home detention, prostitution, parole, and nuisance abatement sweeps; undercover buys; and highway interdiction checkpoints. He works in a collaborative effort with federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Lieutenant Depew's district was the first to set up a crime hotline answered by officers. The lieutenant is an Indiana Certified Instructor for Police Training, and he uses the Weed and Seed philosophy in each course he teaches at the Indianapolis Police Academy.
Lieutenant Depew also is proud of Weed and Seed, which he demonstrates in part by driving the Weed and Seed van at neighborhood events and cochairing Westside's Weed Committee.
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