2020 IACP Leadership Awards Blog Series: Leadership 

This blog is part of a series highlighting the 2020 IACP Leadership Award Winners, who have made meaningful contributions to both their communities and the police profession. Their achievements are representative of the incredible leadership displayed by police organizations around the world. 

IACP Leadership in Human and Civil Rights Award 

The IACP Leadership in Human and Civil Rights Award recognizes agencies and individuals who have demonstrated leadership in protecting fundamental rights. This award showcases the achievements of agencies and individuals in protecting and promoting human and civil rights to enhance public trust and maintain cooperation and partnerships with communities. 

Agency 

Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee 

In 2017, the Governor of Massachusetts revived the state's Task Force on Hate Crimes following an increase in reports of Anti-Semitic crimes. Recognizing the need for proper training, the Massachusetts Municipal Training Committee took on the initiative to develop a detailed curriculum for a hate crime training seminar to better equip officers. Collaborating with various organizations and agencies, the Massachusetts Municipal Training Committee successfully delivered the Civil Rights Symposium: Creating Safer Communities in 2020. The seminar offered a series of lectures on hate crimes enforcement and provided diverse perspectives on the critical issue of hate crimes. The symposium received much praise from both the community and media as well as the officers themselves who had gained a better perspective and felt more prepared to handle hate crimes in their jurisdiction. The leadership shown by the Massachusetts Municipal Training Committee has created the potential for officers who have attended the symposium to become ambassadors who can spread the message and knowledge needed to combat hate crimes. 

Individual  

Feras Ismail 

Detective 

Peel Regional Police, Canada 

In Canada, a steady increase of targeted violence has led to direct impacts on individuals and communities. Detective Feras Ismail is a recognized subject matter expert on terrorism, violence, and hate-motivated crime. Recognizing the need for a new and innovative solution, Detective Ismail took a victim-centric operational approach and successfully implemented the Countering Violent Extremism Initiative (CVEI) to promote human and civil rights while enhancing community trust. He has developed a number of educational seminars and training resources to address human and civil rights concerns. To date, Detective Ismail has personally delivered variations of the CVEI training to more than 12,000 law enforcement and related personnel within and outside of Canada. His leadership and initiative to employ a true community participatory/partnership has resulted with reduced levels of fear of affected individuals and communities. 

IACP Leadership in Volunteer Police Service Programs Award 

The IACP Leadership in Volunteer Police Service Programs Award recognizes volunteer programs that demonstrate innovative, effective practices for augmenting sworn or civilian staff and/or improving service delivery to their communities. Established in 2003, the goal of the award program is to recognize the value that volunteers provide to state and local law enforcement and to institutionalize the theories and practices of the United States’ Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program. This award promotes leadership among law enforcement agencies to develop and implement creative and effective law enforcement volunteer programs. 

Auxiliary/Reserve Volunteer Police Service Program  

Agency 

District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department 

As one of the largest U.S. police agencies, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has an impressive Reserve Corps with volunteers that have served the department since 1951. The Reserve Corps has 110 volunteers that are carefully selected, complete training that mirrors the career academy training, and become certified to serve as reserve police officers. The MPD Reserve Corps significantly contributes to the department and brings a variety of operational and specialty skills from the various backgrounds and careers of the volunteers. In 2019, the MPD Reserve Corps contributed over 30,900 hours of volunteer service to the department, authored 1,187 police reports, and made 198 arrests. MPD reserve officers are committed and dedicated to the department’s mission and serving the community to ensure public safety.  

Comprehensive Volunteer Police Service Program 

Agency 

Denver, Colorado, Police Department 

First established in 2004, the Denver Volunteers in Police Service Program started with a vision of community partnerships through volunteers. With a renewed focus in 2013, the program was catapulted to new heights. The department’s efforts in community partnership and volunteer recruitment has led to a large group of passionate volunteers with specialized experiences. Partnerships have grown to include a diverse group of volunteers that participate and support the police operations. Volunteers often hold professional training events for Denver Police Department (DPD) staff, serve on review boards, build community outreach programs, and more. Over the years, DPD volunteers have won many awards including Presidential Service Awards, given to volunteers who work an extraordinary number of hours. In 2019, 284 volunteers contributed 30,645 hours to the DPD, totaling $779,302 in added value for the City and County of Denver. Since the beginning of the program in 2004, volunteers have given 504,805 hours, totaling a savings of more than $12.8 million for the department.