[Archived] Alexandria Officer Receives Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch has announced the recipients of the inaugural Attorney General’s Awards for Distinguished Services in Community Policing. Alexandria Police Officer Bennie Evans was one of 12 law enforcement officers from nine jurisdictions across the country honored at a ceremony yesterday.

“These inspiring men and women have been nominated for these awards by their colleagues and their communities,” said Attorney General Lynch in a press release.  “Each of them embodies the very best of their profession.  They understand that their role is not just to enforce the law, but to secure justice.  They recognize that the badge they wear represents a sacred trust – one that they strive to fulfill each and every day.  And they view the citizens they serve not as adversaries or potential opponents, but as partners, allies and neighbors.  Everything that they do – whether it is an effort as large as running a youth outreach program, or a gesture as small as learning a neighbor’s name – makes a real difference in their communities and we are here to share our admiration and our gratitude.”

Officer Evans was selected for the way he embraces community policing during field operations and through voluntary participation in projects for the police department and local nonprofit organizations. A lead instructor in the Alexandria Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team, he provides officer training in suicide intervention, substance abuse and other issues. He also serves as the department’s homeless outreach liaison. He works to help residents in need and has helped build trust in the communities he serves. Officer Evans has successfully de-escalated numerous violent and attempt suicide calls for service.

The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing recognizes individual state, local or tribal sworn police officers and deputies who exemplify remarkable achievements in innovative community policing strategies, criminal investigations and field operations.  In the more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the country, the everyday work of individual officers often goes unsung.  To remedy this, Attorney General Lynch announced the creation of this award to honor the outstanding work of rank-and-file officers.

Alexandria Police Officer Evans is pictured with Attorney General Lynch.