College Park, MD – The University of Maryland Department of Public Safety earned awards in two categories for the 2012 Governor's Crime Prevention Awards. The department and officers were recognized today at a ceremony hosted by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. Ms. Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, Mr. Gerry Sneeringer, both UMD Staff, and Mr. Charles L. Simpson Jr, Manager of Southern Management (Graduate Hills and Gardens) won the “Category C – Governor’s Crime Prevention Award for Community Groups, Organizations, and Individual Citizens.
The award for Outstanding Crime Prevention contributions was awarded to community groups, organizations, and individual citizens in Maryland who, as judged by the Awards Subcommittee, made outstanding contributions to the furtherance of crime prevention in their communities. Ms. Aparicio-Blackwell was recognized for her efforts in community engagement and programs which assist local youth. These partnerships have fostered valuable on-going relationships between the University of Maryland Police and the local community. Mr. Sneeringer was nominated for the award for his long-hours work in assisting UMDPS with a criminal case in which an individual made threats over the internet -- that he was going to "shoot up" the campus. Mr. Sneeringer's expertise in IT enabled detectives to locate the person making the threats and safely take him into custody. Mr. Simpson, Jr., as manager for Southern Management, worked with his company and made special accomodations to house a Police Community Office at the Graduate Hills Apartments complex on Tulane Drive. The incorporation of this office into the Graduate Housing complex has helped create dialog between our Crime Prevention Officer (Sgt. Kenner) and the community members on safety issues in the surrounding area.
“These individuals have done a great service to our community” stated David B. Mitchell, Chief of Police. “I look forward to continued successes that members of our community contribute to the University of Maryland College Park campus and the surrounding community.”
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