PEORIA POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
National news has reported many stories detailing the adversarial relationships between law enforcement and local communities. The city of Peoria, Arizona, wanted to find a way to deal with community concerns and quality-of-life issues, so the Peoria Police Department partnered with members of the community through the United Community Action Network, or UCAN. The Peoria Police Department was recently recognized by Workforce Management with an Optimas Award. The collaboration developed through the UCAN meetings has evolved into a partnership that has produced housing for needy families as well as educational and mentoring assistance for youths and adults. Since UCAN began, the Peoria Police Department has had a 17 percent decrease in violent crime and a 19 percent decrease in total crime. For more information, visit www.peoriaaz.gov/ucan.
