SAVANNAH - The Conyers Police Department was named the recipient of the 2015 Dr. Curtis E. McClung/Motorola Award for Excellence by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP). This award, which is co-sponsored by the Motorola Corporation, is given to an agency in recognition of an innovative program initiated by the department that fosters law enforcement excellence. Conyers Police Chief Wilson and representatives from the department received the award on Monday, July 27.

The Conyers Police Department's "Varied Approach into 21st Century Policing" program outlines three separate areas or programs within the department that are designed to establish a multi-faced approach to reach out to the community and bridge a gap between the police and the community.

The program features a Clergy Police Academy, which is an outreach program to mostly African American congregations to open a line of communication in order to avoid situations that occurred in Ferguson, MO. The second part of the approach is Project Thinking Under Fire. This initiative focuses on young people and their interaction or encounters with law enforcement personnel during critical incidents so both walk away with their lives. The program also features the Police Cadet Program, which offers successful graduates the possibility of a fulltime position and a career pipeline into law enforcement. CPD will receive a $1,000 award for their achievement.

CPD Spokesperson Kim Lucas said, "We are so proud of Sgt. Peggy Franklin for her work on the Clergy Police Academy, Sgt. Corey Hambrick on his TUF program, and of course Chief Wilson for his support and push for these programs to include the brand new Cadet Program. Each of these programs, while unique and independent from one another, cater to a vital goal: building trust between the department and the community it serves."

There were two runner-ups to this award both with outstanding community relation programs - the Holly Springs Police Department and Marietta Police Department. Both runner-ups received $500 to foster the growth of those community relations programs.

This prestigious award is named after Dr. Curtis McClung of Columbus, who is credited with bringing Georgia's law enforcement community into the modern era with respect to management training.