Law Enforcement Challenge

2012 Virginia Challenge Winners Announced!
38 Va. agencies participated in the state and national Challenge programs for 2012

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police (VACP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Virginia Law Enforcement Challenge awards for the best traffic safety programs in the state. The awards luncheon took place during the VACP’s 88th Annual Training Conference on Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA.

Celebrating its twenty-fourth year in Virginia, the Law Enforcement Challenge program promotes professionalism in traffic safety enforcement and encourages agencies to share best practices and programs with each other. The awards are based on entries prepared by the participating agencies that highlight their traffic safety education and enforcement activities in the past calendar year. Judges award points to the agencies in the six areas that comprise a comprehensive traffic safety program: an agency’s policies and guidelines, training of officers, incentives and recognition, public information and education, enforcement, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the agency’s efforts.

The Virginia Challenge is held in cooperation with the National Law Enforcement Challenge Awards, which are presented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). This year, thirty-eight Virginia agencies entered the state and national competitions. Thirty-six received state awards and sixteen will receive national awards. National Challenge award winners have been announced by the IACP on their web site at http://www.theiacp.org/NLEC. National awards will be presented in October at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

Virginia agencies were presented with their state Challenge first, second and third place awards in each category at the luncheon in August, as well as special awards for outstanding enforcement and education efforts in the areas of occupant protection, impaired driving, speed awareness, child passenger safety, underage alcohol awareness and many more.

Additionally, the VACP announced the most outstanding traffic safety program in Virginia in 2012 regardless of agency size or type — the “Commonwealth Award” — and the 2012 Virginia Traffic Safety Officer of the Year Award, presented to an officer who has gone above and beyond to promote highway safety in his community. The Commonwealth Award recipient for 2012 is the James City County Division of Police and the 2012 Traffic Safety Officer of the Year is PFC Micheal D. Mittiga of the Fairfax County Police Department.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

DOWNLOAD VIRGINIA LAW ENFORCEMENT CHALLENGE AWARDS PRESS RELEASE: Word document | Adobe PDF

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WINNERS