Waterloo, Iowa, Police Department Honored For Domestic Violence Intervention In The Community

WATERLOO, IA — Verizon Wireless, a corporate leader in domestic violence prevention, today presented Chief Dan Trelka and the Waterloo Police Department with the company’s HopeLine® Champion Award: Law Enforcement Partnership. The award recognizes individuals or agencies involved in law enforcement that have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and focus on preventing domestic violence and raising awareness in their communities.

Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark and Black Hawk County Attorney Tom Ferguson assisted in presenting the award to Chief Trelka at City Hall. “The Waterloo Police Department has dedicated officers and its Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) is a perfect example of its commitment to serve the citizens of Waterloo,” said Mayor Clark. “The Police Department's DART program, in conjunction with agencies such as Seeds of Hope and the Black Hawk County Attorney's Office, has been successful in prosecuting more cases of domestic abuse. We are honored to receive this Law Enforcement Partnership Award.”

In 1995, prior to the start of the DART team, 33 percent of Waterloo’s approximately 493 annual domestic violence cases were dismissed due to the inability to successfully prosecute the cases. The DART team still handles more than 450 domestic violence cases a year, but for the first half of 2011 (January 1 to June 30) Black Hawk County reduced the dismissal rate of these cases to 16.7 percent.

In addition to the award, Verizon Wireless announced a $10,000 grant to Seeds of Hope through the company’s HopeLine program. The grant will be used to provide advanced domestic violence training to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocates, victim service providers and others involved in the criminal justice system. Seeds of Hope recommended Chief Trelka and the Waterloo Police Department for the HopeLine Champion Award.

“Seeds of Hope is deeply honored to be recognized for its service to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Terry Helinski, Executive Director, Seeds of Hope. “Our partnership with the Waterloo Police Department and the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office on the DART Team has enabled us to enhance the safety and well-being of victims in Black Hawk County.”

Chief Trelka and the Waterloo Police Department joins a distinguished list of individuals who have been honored with this award, including Police Chief Timothy J. Dolan of the Minneapolis Police Department; Police Chief Gerald Whitman of the Denver Police Department; Police Chief Ronald L. DePompa of the Glendale, Calif., Police Department; the Georgia chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); and Sheriff Al Lamberti of the Broward County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office.

Verizon is a recognized corporate leader for its commitment to preventing domestic violence and raising awareness of the issue. HopeLine from Verizon puts the nation’s most reliable wireless network to work in the community by collecting no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider and turning them into support for domestic violence victims.

For more information on HopeLine from Verizon, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 107.7 million total wireless connections, including 90.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Seeds of Hope: Seeds of Hope is a non-profit organization serving Black Hawk, Grundy and Hardin counties with quality education and comprehensive services concerning domestic violence and sexual assault. The variety of services offered include: individual and child advocacy, medical advocacy, legal advocacy, support groups, safe homes, transitional housing, transportation, emergency cell phones, start-up kits, community education and volunteer training. The 24-hour crisis line is 888-746-4673. For more information visit www.seedsofhopeiowa.com.

####