Five-O-Fridays

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Chesterfield County Police Department's School Safety Unit supplements uniform operations during the summer months while school is not in session. Juvenile crime and juvenile related calls for service can often be a result of the increased time our younger population has during the summer months. To counter this free time for our county's youth, and to promote positive interaction with police, the School Safety Unit piloted a program aimed at engaging the youth with various classes and events. The program was named "Five-O Fridays”. Each Friday during the summer was the day of the week that two apartment complexes were visited by the same police officers, and various classes were instructed to neighborhood children. Consistent schedules with familiar faces set a baseline of familiarity to make it easier for the children to relate to police as normal people and build trust in the community.