Community Safety Leaders Explore Innovation and Collaboration at Regional Symposium

The Prince William County Office of Community Safety, or OCS, recently held its second annual Innovation Symposium, bringing together regional representatives from law enforcement agencies, social services, community services, corrections departments, health departments, state organizations and George Mason University College of Public Health to explore ways to build safer and more secure communities.  

Panel discussions focused on health innovations, stalking prevention and collaborative approaches to advance public safety. 

Prince William County Executive Christopher Shorter told attendees gathered at the George Mason University Potomac Science Center in Woodbridge that he was proud of the work OCS has done to bring agencies and professionals together to collaborate on solutions to longstanding community safety challenges. 

“I will tell you, in terms of collaboration and coordination, whether it is coordinated community care, domestic violence, human trafficking and all the things in between, this team, just like each of you in your various communities, are doing great work that actually saves lives. And so that's why we take these conversations so seriously,” Shorter said. “We are … already seeing great, great, innovation just from having these types of discussions.”  

Deputy County Executive for Safe and Secure Communities Robert Blakley said the symposium reflects Prince William County's commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation among organizations working to address complex community challenges. 

“I can't thank you all enough for being here,” Blakley said. “As I was standing in the back, I already saw people across all the disciplines just reaching over and talking. If that's not the best thing that can happen today, it's definitely one of the top things.” 

Keynote speaker Gregory Hopkins, the Director of Richmond’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, encouraged attendees to continue building on innovative approaches that improve outcomes for residents and strengthen communities. Hopkins said the symposium provided an opportunity for professionals across disciplines to learn from one another and strengthen their collective impact. 

“Today is more than a symposium,” said Hopkins. “It's an opportunity for us to learn from one another, strengthen our partnerships, share innovations and recommit ourselves to building communities rooted in safety, healing, opportunity and hope.” 

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin, Director of the Office of Community Safety, said the symposium supports the county's Strategic Plan by helping agencies identify opportunities to improve coordination, strengthen service delivery and address complex issues affecting residents. 

“One of the ways we're supporting those goals is bringing all of the stakeholders to the table,” said Yasin. “When we tackle issues, we want to tackle them from that 30,000-foot view all the way down to the operational view. One of the ways we do that is by having lots of people at the table. This is a great opportunity for all of our agencies to get together to network and connect.” 

Learn more about community safety initiatives and programs. Visit the county's YouTube channel to watch the Buzz video from the symposium.