BPD was award for general officer safety, traffic safety, and officer wellness.
On March 16th, 2016 the Burlington Police Department was notified that we were a finalist in the National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards Program. This program is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) VALOR Program and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Board of Directors. We were invited to attend the Award Banquet held on Saturday, May 14th, 2016 in Washington DC. This banquet was coordinated to coincide with the activities surrounding National Police Week.
On May 14th, Officer Russell Henderson and Chief Jeffrey Smythe attended the Award Banquet. They were recognized at that time as the runner up for this award (photo available). The winning agency was the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The BJA has provided the Burlington Police Department with a plaque for their accomplishment and the plaque will be proudly displayed at the BPD headquarters’ building.
There are four awards included in the VALOR program and include:
• General Officer Safety
• Traffic Safety
• Officer Wellness
• Comprehensive Officer Safety and Wellness
Officer Russell Henderson prepared the submission packet for the BPD and nominated the agency for the Comprehensive Officer Safety and Wellness award. This submission packet included extensive documentation regarding the wide array of officer safety and wellness training conducted, safety equipment purchased, and fitness/wellness programs the agency has undertaken in the last few years.
Chief Smythe said, “While I would have preferred to win this award, coming in second to the NYPD is a great accomplishment. They have nearly 40,000 police officers and unlimited resources. We have 127 police officers and a frugal, yet adequate budget. At the end of the day, we are safer and more professional for the activities we have completed this year.”