NOVA Public Safety

Newsletter

July 2018

COMMUNICATIONS SUPERVISOR DAVID RIGLIN IN THIS ISSUE

Penelope, The NOVA Police Cat

Penelope the NOVA Police Cat cares about you and reminds you to stay safe this Summer. Don’t drink if you plan to drive and don’t text while driving. Also, don’t ride in vehicles whose drivers are drinking or texting.

Check out Penelope’s daily safety tips in her Instagram account @penelopenovapolicecat.

#PENELOPENOVAPOLICECAT

A Message From Penelope, The NOVA Police Cat

Join NOVA’s Finest

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Meet Our Newest Officers

Former NOVA Officer Awarded Congressional Badge of

Bravery

NOVA Training Announcment

Police Dispatch

(703) 764-5000

Call Us 24/7/365Novapolice@nvcc.edu

Make a Difference:

Join NOVA’s Finest

Are you interested in an exciting, rewarding, and respected career; one in which you can make a difference?

NOVA Police are looking for officers to join our team of professionals. If you are a US citizen, have a good driving record, are at least 21 years of age, have a good criminal record, and like helping people, you should consider a career with us.

We are state-certified police officers, with all the same training and responsibilities of law enforcement officers throughout Virginia. If selected for a position, we will send you to the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy in Ashburn where you will join

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Make a Difference: Join NOVA’s Finest (Cont’d)

recruits from Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun County, Falls Church, and George Mason, to name just a few agencies. There, you will complete a five-month program where you will be trained in all aspects of policing, to include firearms, pursuit driving, the law, and public service. You will receive up to a year of college credit for your training, all the while receiving excellent pay and state benefits. Six months after you complete the academy, you will be able to take free college classes as a NOVA employee.

As a NOVA officer, you will work in one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in the country, ensuring a career that is always interesting and rewarding. You will help people, keep them safe, and be an ambassador for the department’s professionalism and commitment to the college. You will receive frequent and excellent training, and you will be able to specialize in many areas of public safety. You will use state-of-the-art equipment.

NOVA officers work frequently with our municipal partners in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and the City of Alexandria. We enjoy an excellent reputation with these colleagues and we are recognized throughout the Commonwealth and the nation as one of its best college police departments. Our Chief was selected as the best college police chief in the country, our officers write regularly for the country’s leading magazines on policing and campus security, and we are invited to speak on policing at national and even international campus security conferences. Law enforcement isn’t a job; it’s a calling. If you have a desire to serve your community, make a difference, and push yourself to meet our high standards, we are interested in speaking with you. Go to https://nvcc.peopleadmin.com/postings/18881 to start the process and check us out. If you want further information, please contact Lt. John Weinstein, jweinstein@nvcc.edu.

We want you!

as a NOVA Police Officer

• State employee retirement• Competitive salary• Health care• Free college classes

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Proper Disposal of Smoking Materials

You probably remember several large fires in our region last month:

• A Centreville fire damaged 13 townhouses and displaced 36people

• A Centreville fire in a senior living community caused theevacuation of 75 apartment units and displaced several residents

• Fairfax bank fire that collapsed the roof

These devastating fires – were started by improper disposal of smoking materials. For instance, nearly half of all structure fires in Fairfax County this year were caused by improper disposal of smoking materials!

If you smoke, whether you are on a NOVA campus (Do not smoke within 25 feet of an entrance) or at home, please remember to dispose of your smoking materials in a safe manner:

• Do not throw cigarettes into bushes, potted plants, landscaping,peat moss, dried grasses, or mulch. Hot weather causes them tobecome highly flammable.

• NOVA provides safe smoking areas away from entrances andhazards. Use fireproof cigarette disposal containers foundthroughout the campuses to dispose of cigarettes.

• At home, completely douse butts and ashes with water beforethrowing them away.

• Never smoke in bed.• Keep smoking materials away from flammable objects (e.g., mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture,

draperies).• Never smoke any place where oxygen is being used.• To prevent a deadly cigarette fire, you must be alert. You won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking, or

have taken medicine or other drugs.• Keep matches and lighters out of children’s sight and reach.

Most fires are preventable! Following these safety steps helps keep you, NOVA, your neighbors, and the local community safe from fires. For more information, contact NOVA’s office of Emergency Management (oem@nvcc.edu; 703-764-5043 and Safety (visit the United States Fire Administration or your local county emergency resources.

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Meet Our Newest Officers

Officer Kevin Fuentes is originally from the Bronx, New York and moved to Northern Virginia about 12 and a half years ago. Kevin is joining us from the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office where he served as a deputy for more than 10 years. Kevin is involved in several physical activities to include running, functional fitness, and biking. Kevin is a New York Giants, and Yankees fan. Since living in the Northern Virginia area, Kevin has also become a spectator of all the DC sports teams. Kevin is honored to work for the Northern Virginia Community College Police Department and looks forward to becoming a valued member of the NOVA community.

Officer Danielle Barnes attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County and earned a Bachelors in Psychology. With her degree, she went on to work at the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office for 6 years. Her last assignment was with the Alternative Programs section which was a community service oriented position. She was a member of the Peer Support Unit and is a DCJS certified Field Training Officer and Basic Instructor. Daniella enjoys traveling, whether international or domestic, attending concerts, and hanging out with her two dogs, a pit bull mix and an English Bulldog.

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Former NOVA Officer awarded Congressional Badge of Bravery

An Eaton County (Michigan) Sheriff’s deputy who rescued three people from a 2016 condo fire was celebrated as a hero at a ceremony where he received the national Congressional Badge of Bravery. Andrew Jenkins is just the second Michigan law enforcement officer to receive this honor from the U.S. Attorney General’s office.

Jenkins arrived before fire officials during a December 2016 fire in Delta Township that sent a husband and wife and their adult daughter to the hospital. Without fire equipment, Jenkins helped the daughter out of the home, then returned to carry the father, who is an amputee, out of the fire while coaxing the mother to leave. Just after they were all out of the building, the fire flashed – meaning gases rapidly combusted – which would have likely killed everyone inside.

“You did it without thinking about anything but doing your job and doing what you were trained to do, which is to protect those who are the most vulnerable,” U.S. Sen. Gary Peters said. “That is something that is truly extraordinary.” U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow called Jenkins a “real Michigan hero.”

Jenkins started his law enforcement career in 2009 with the Northern Virginia Community College Police Department and served at the Annandale campus. He became a member of the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department in 2015.

Jenkins also spoke at the ceremony. “We continue to do the job day in and day out because we believe in the fight for the greater good and it’s what we do. It’s in our blood to come between good and evil.”

The award, first authorized by Congress in 2008, is awarded by the U.S. Attorney General’s office to law enforcement personnel who sustain a physical injury or put themselves at serious risk while performing an act of bravery. Congratulations Andrew. We are proud of you!

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NOVA Training Announcement

Available Training Topics

• Staying Safe on the Streets (including Self-Defense Considerations)• Alcohol Awareness/DUI• Active Shooter Response• Dealing with Difficult People• Staying Safe in the Classroom• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Police

(But Were Afraid to Ask)• Human Trafficking• Crimes Against Women• Staying Safe While Using Uber/LYFT• Identify Theft

NOVA Police will resume campus-wide training in the Fall. However, we are available to respond to individual requests for training. If you would like to receive NOVA Police training,

please contact Lt. John Weins tein, jweinstein@nvcc.edu