UMKC to Receive FBI Leadership Award

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Kaste proudly announces the presentation of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) to Chancellor Leo E. Morton, on behalf of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

 The DCLA which is presented annually on behalf of the FBI Director was instituted in 1990 to publicly recognize one organization or individual in each of the FBI’s 56 field offices across the United States for their outstanding achievements and contributions toward crime and violence prevention.

UMKC has been nominated as the FBI Kansas City Division 2014 award recipient for their intricate role in partnering with area law enforcement in the No Violence Alliance (NoVA) project, designed to combat the crime problem in the greater Kansas City area.   UMKC is recognized as a key component in this partnership, serving not only as the architects, conceptualizing and designing the NoVA project, but also by providing the research mechanism to identify offenders and providing  the resources to train law enforcement officers. 

The NoVA project provides a strategy of focused deterrence, incorporating partnerships which utilize a no violence message by partnering with law enforcement, service providers, and community figures.  Together the partnership delivers a unified “no violence” message, explains that violence will bring law enforcement attention to entire groups, offers services and alternatives to group members, and articulates community norms against violence.

 A formal ceremony will be hosted in Washington, DC, during 2015 where Chancellor Morton along with the other recipients from across the nation will be recognized by the FBI Director for their outstanding achievements in crime prevention.