Police Chief Will Johnson Receives Prestigious Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award

By Office of Communication

Posted on May 03, 2013, May 03, 2013

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson received the 2013 Gary P. Hayes Memorial Award on Friday, May 3 from the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). The award honors the memory of PERF' s first executive director, who helped lead a major wave of improvements in American policing. It is presented annually to "up-and-coming"law enforcement professionals whose character, record of leadership, and commitment to better policing embody the ideals to which Gary Hayes was committed. Chief Johnson is receiving the prestigious Hayes Award nearly a decade after former Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman won the award.

"Will is a great 'treet cop' who successfully ascended through the ranks while retaining the respect of the officers,"former Chief Bowman said in nominating Johnson for the Hayes Award. "As he worked his way up through the ranks, he developed strong skills in areas such as homeland security, investigations, SWAT, traffic enforcement and gangs. His superior communication abilities, results orientation and overall leadership have earned him the respect of his officers and peers. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to think conceptually and implement effective problem-solving initiatives."

Bowman provided a number of points to demonstrate Chief Johnson' s leadership, including:

• Johnson achieved an 11-percent reduction in crime in 2012, which is especially significant considering that the city ended 2011 with crime at historical lows. He has also increased case clearance rates, reduced gang shootings and increased gang arrests.
• He led the police response to an EF2 tornado that struck Arlington in 2012. Because of the strong police presence, Arlington was the only city in the area not to experience any looting following the tornadoes.
• He has led department-wide and regional planning for major sports events, including Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 and 2011 MLB World Series and the 2010 NBA All Star game.
• He centralized all SWAT resources, operationalized a second full-time SWAT Team, and addressed gaps in SWAT equipment and training. He also created the Police Department' s Homeland Security and Special Events Section.
• He created a Tactical Intelligence Unit to reduce information silos within the department and engage the community with initiatives such as the Suspicious Activity Report program.
• He led the department' s response to a hate crime, prompting the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBT civil rights organization, to commend the Arlington Police Department for its fast, thorough work in making arrests.
• He created an employee recognition system to promote positive work and improve staff morale.

"It is noteworthy that the two most recent chiefs of the Arlington Police Department have now both received the Gary Hayes Award,"said PERF President Charles Ramsey. "This is a testament to the strength of their department."

Past recipients of the Hayes Award have included many prominent leaders in policing, including Philadelphia Police Commissioner (and current PERF President) Charles Ramsey; William Bratton (former chief in Los Angeles and New York City); Gil Kerlikowske (former chief in Seattle, now director of ONDCP); Chief Dean M. Esserman (New Haven, CT); Chief Scott Thomson (Camden, NJ); Chief Cathy Lanier (Washington, DC); Chief Edward A. Flynn (Milwaukee); Peter Neyroud (former CEO of the National Policing Improvement Agency, London); Ron Huberman (former assistant deputy police superintendent in Chicago and former CEO of Chicago' s public schools system); Sharon Lubinski (currently U.S. Marshal for the District of Minnesota); and Betty Kelepecz, former LAPD Commander and Chief of the Port of San Diego Harbor Police.

Upon receiving the award in Milwaukee, WI, Chief Johnson dedicated it to the Arlington Police Department and its employees during the ceremony. "It is because of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by the men and women of the department everyday that we are able to serve our community. Without them we would not be able to achieve our goals and I would not be standing here today,"Johnson said.