APD awarded Small Agency Crime Prevention Unit of the Year

Release from Alachua Police Department

ALACHUA, Fla. – The Alachua Police Department is proud to share that our 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 (𝗖𝗣𝗨) has been awarded the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗙𝗖𝗣𝗔 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 in the 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 (𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀) category.

This recognition highlights our department’s commitment to innovation, community engagement, and proactive crime prevention throughout the City of Alachua.

On October 23, 2025, representatives of the Alachua Police Department accepted this award during the Florida Crime Prevention Association (FCPA) Conference in Orlando, Florida. In attendance, from left to right, were Lt. Jason Moses, Lt. Daniel Chalker, Sgt. Thomas Stanfield, Chief Jesse Sandusky, and Lt. Carl Newsome.

Led by Sgt. Thomas Stanfield, the CPU has made a meaningful impact through several initiatives, including:

• 𝗘𝗭 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝗗 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝘀: Providing parents with essential identification tools to help protect their children in emergencies.

• 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝟮 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Partnering with School Resource Officers to distribute 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to local students.

• 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗞𝗜𝗗𝗦 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: School Resource Officer A. Payne recently becoming certified in equipping children with personal safety skills and empowering them to make positive choices.

• 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮: Producing educational videos and digital outreach, including a Fourth of July 911 awareness video that reached over 12 million viewers nationwide.

Sgt. Thomas Stanfield said, “While the CPU may be a one-person unit, this award truly belongs to the entire Alachua Police Department. Without the support, teamwork, and dedication of every member of this agency, none of this would be possible.”

APD is grateful to the Florida Crime Prevention Association (FCPA) for this recognition and to our community for your continued trust and support.