IACP/SIA Michael Shanahan Leadership in Public/Private Cooperation Award
This award, in honor of Chief Michael Shanahan (retired), who served the University of Washington Police Department for 24 years before retiring in 1995, seeks to recognize outstanding achievements in the development and implementation of Public/Private Cooperation in Public Safety.
The 2024 award nomination period is now closed. Complete the 2025 Awards Interest Form to receive information as it becomes available.
The IACP/Security Industry Association Michael Shanahan Leadership in Public/Private Cooperation Award, in honor of the late Chief Michael Shanahan, who served the University of Washington Police Department for 24 years before retiring in 1995 and served as the founding chair of the IACP Private Sector Liaison Committee, seeks to recognize outstanding achievement in the development and implementation of public/private cooperation in public safety. The IACP/SIA Michael Shanahan Leadership in Public/Private Cooperation Award recognizes partnerships between law enforcement agencies and private industries that have collaborated to build community trust and enhance public safety.
For further information, contact [email protected].
2024 Winner
Dubai Police, United Arab Emirates
Launched in 2015, the On-the-Go initiative partnered with private sector fuel stations to enhance service to the community and increase customer satisfaction. Service was enhanced and customer satisfaction increased because traffic accident reports could be completed at these service stations. Security coverage increased to 99%, and incident response times decreased from 15 minutes to under 3 minutes. Further, the effective cost of the security patrols has decreased to zero, highlighting its financial efficiency.
2023 Winner
Dubai Police, United Arab Emirates
Developed through a scientific and systematic cycle in coordination with AQDAR, the Virtual Technology Center in Dubai Police formed a new initiative, smart electronic awareness games, which uses an innovative and engaging delivery method for learning material, content, and messages to the community. Using video games allowed the use of various devices and systems. These games contain learning messages in an interesting, enjoyable, and funny form for both kids and adults. This is a unique initiative by a law enforcement agency to reach people locally and internationally. The games provide a free learning opportunity and ensures inclusive and equitable quality education, as well as promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Social media was used to share information about the initiative and accounted for more than 400 million views on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The games ranked number one in seventy-four countries in the Educational category and are available in sixteen languages.
2022 Winner
Irving Police Department, Texas
Developed in 2016, Shop Talk is an outreach initiative designed to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. The idea was to connect with the community in places where residents would feel comfortable and be open to sharing their concerns with the police. Traditionally, barbershops are a gathering place where people feel safe engaging in open, honest discussions. The program has become a model for other departments across the nation. Shop Talk has not only improved communication and trust between the public and law enforcement, but it has also fostered several community partnerships that extend well beyond the program itself.
2021 Winner
Harris County Sheriff's Office
The Harris County Sheriff's Office collaborated with private and public sector companies to develop and implement an innovative model telepsychiatry program for patrol deputies, the Clinician and Officer Remote Evaluation (CORE) Telehealth Program. The collaborating psychiatrists conduct a crisis assessment on individuals in mental or behavioral crisis and help deputies de-escalate the situation, provide resource information, and, in some cases, prescribe medication. Collaborating partners were the Harris County Sheriff's Office, JSA Health Telepsychiatry, Verizon Wireless, the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Cloud 9 (video conferencing), and Harris County Emergency Corps. The goals of the program include citizen and officer safety, triage of the person in crisis, the elimination of unnecessary transports to hospital emergency departments, and jail diversion. The program has now been replicated in several jurisdictions, aiding the future of policing for law enforcement response to individuals in a mental health crisis.
2020 Winner
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Game Changer
In 2019, the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Police and VCU Athletics initiated collaboration with Game Changer to bring together student-athletes, community members, and police officers to identify concerns and develop solutions between communities and law enforcement. The program involves utilizing the collegiate, professional, and virtual sporting events as a social, common denominator for the community and police to create a neutral platform for open dialogue. The innovative approach has brought groups together to better understand each other, to acknowledge similarities and differences, and to collectively work together to find long-term solutions for police-community relations. Game Changer, in partnership with 34 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, has over 1,045 unique participants and has conducted 78 training events in 3 states. This partnership model has been replicated and proven to effectively change perceptions and behavior of participating members of law enforcement and community residents.
2019 Winner
Morris County, New Jersey, Sheriff’s Office
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office and multiple partner agencies developed a mobile outreach program called Hope One to reverse overdoses. Vehicles are staffed with a sheriff’s officer, licensed clinician, and a certified peer recovery specialist, who understand the needs of those suffering with addiction. The van stops in communities where drug sales and opioid overdoses occur. At the time of application for this award CPRSs had contacted 6,643 individuals, trained 1,714 people in the administration of Narcan, and handed out free kits. The philosophy is a stigma-free attitude to everyone. The van parks outside community soup kitchens, churches, motels, train stations, shopping centers, or areas where homeless and at-risk individuals congregate. Using this strategy, teams make a new contact every 10.8 minutes.
2018 Winner
Village of Pinecrest, Florida, Police Department
The Village of Pinecrest Police Department, located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, worked with Florida International University (FIU) to create the Virtual Roll Call Briefing/FIU Capstone Project. The project addresses the challenges of conducting in-station roll calls when there are no overlaps between shifts. The Virtual Roll Call Briefing allows officers to report to their designated patrol zones and view roll call information through a web-based, VPN-secured application. It also provides BOLO alerts, shift-specific information, watch orders for the homes of vacationing residents, and an acknowledgment confirmation so that supervisors have a record of receipt for each officer. This project serves as an example of what can be accomplished when the public and private sectors come together to overcome the daily obstacles faced by law enforcement.
