Top Honors for All Stars: NYPD & ASP Receive 2015 IACP and Cisco Community Policing Award

Published by Christina DiChiara

The All Stars Project is proud to announce that in partnership with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), we have been awarded the 2015 IACP and Cisco Community Policing Award from The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) for Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids.

The prestigious award honors those police departments and community partners that are forging positive relationships. The award rewards best practices in community policing by recognizing programs that use the power of collaboration and partnerships to make communities safer. The NYPD and ASP/Operation Conversation: Cops & Kids earned the honor for cities worldwide having a population of greater than 250,000.

“No single factor has been more crucial to reducing crime levels than the partnership between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve,” said IACP President Richard Beary. “I applaud those recognized with this prestigious award and know that what they have created in their communities will positively impact the law enforcement community worldwide.”

“Working with the All Stars Project has strengthened the relationship between NYPD and the youth of this city. We look forward to continuing this partnership and deepening our connection to the communities we serve,” said Police Commissioner William J. Bratton.

“Operation Conversation: Cops and Kids workshops give teens and cops the chance to step outside their usual roles and responses and discover new ways of relating,” said Dr. Fulani. “We commend the NYPD for their willingness to work together with us to bridge the divisions in our communities – divisions that weaken both our ability to fight crime and our ability to provide a decent and quality life to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin or which neighborhood they live in.”

In 2011, the NYPD and the ASP entered into a formal partnership agreement to make the program a part of the training of NYC police officers. The program uses performance, theatre games, improvisation and candid conversation to help teenagers and police officers in NYC’s low income neighborhoods build respect for each other and improve their relationship. 114 workshops have been conducted in the community involving 1,167 cops and 1,427 kids; additionally 3,544 Police Academy graduates and 1,702 community members have attended demonstration workshops.

“The All Stars Project is deeply honored to have been recognized for our work in partnership with the NYPD to create new and profound relationships between police officers and the young people in New York’s poor communities,” said Gabrielle Kurlander, CEO, All Stars Project. “This award underscores our mutual commitment to bridging the divide between cops and kids in order to improve both how they interact with each other, and also our communities.”

The NYPD and the All Stars Project were recognized at the IACP Annual Conference Oct. 24-27, 2015 in Chicago, IL.