"Community policing is central to the success of the police mission as we provide quality services to, and build relationships with, our diverse communities."

IACP President Yost Zakhary

I had the privilege of attending the 2014 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Community Policing awards last Sunday, and I can say firsthand that it was nothing short of awe-inspiring to meet the amazing men and women from the agencies being honored. Their commitment and determination to drive initiatives that make everyone safer is incredible.

Each year since 1998, the IACP Community Policing Committee awards the best community policing practices of agencies around the world. Since the inception of the awards, over 73 agency winners and 132 finalists globally have been recognized for their commitment to community policing and innovation.

Entries are awarded in five population categories and judged on innovative ideas that utilize the power of community policing in order to ultimately make our communities safer. The process involves extremely high standards as well. If none of the submissions in a category meet the established standards set by the Community Policing Committee, no award is given in that category.

The 2014 winners and finalists highlight innovative initiatives that address issues involving such things youth crime and school issues, gun violence, and homicide. It's an amazing representation of the power of community policing in order to make a difference and to make our communities better.

This year's IACP Community Policing Award winners and finalists are:

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists and a big thank you for leading the community policing innovation charge and making our cities and communities safer!

To learn the specifics around the amazing and innovative initiatives implemented by each of the winners and finalists, check out our 2014 IACP Community Policing Awards brochure, which summarizes the submissions and provides a best practices framework agencies can use to solve community issues.

Is your agency ready to submit an entry for the 2014 IACP Community Policing Awards? Visit the IACP Community Policing site for more information.

Tune in next week for our final blogs from the#CiscoPublicSafety blogs series, follow@CiscoStateLocal and @CiscoGovt on Twitter for updates and events, and visit the Cisco Public Safety site for more information on our solutions.