Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

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Fort Hood Police Capt. Jonathan Caylor receives the 2012 Outstanding Crime Prevention Manager award from TCPA President Jeffrey McGowen July 11 during an awards ceremony. This is the third year in a row the post has been recognized. Bridgett O’Conner, TCPA

Capt. Jonathan Caylor, chief, Community Policing Section, DES, was named Outstanding Crime Prevention Manager for 2012 by the TCPA. Caylor was honored for his team’s efforts to prevent crime on and around the installation. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

For the third year in a row, Fort Hood has received state-level recognition for crime prevention efforts on the installation by the Texas Crime Prevention Association.

Police Capt. Jonathan Caylor, chief, Community Policing section, Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services, was named 2012 Outstanding Crime Prevention Manager.

In addition, Fort Hood’s Public Affairs Office was presented the Outstanding Media Award for its radio, newspaper, social media and media relations support to aid crime prevention at Fort Hood.

Caylor nominated the PAO shop for the award to recognize the contributions the office has made to assisting the crime prevention and law enforcement mission.

“The public affairs office helps get immediate, accurate information out,” he said. “Our partnership and our ability to communicate with each other helps the public get the most accurate information most widely disseminated.”

When it comes to his own award, Caylor said it is all about his team.

“I was very excited (to get the award),” he said, “but this has very little to do with me.”

Instead, Caylor heaped praise on his team and their hard work and dedication, especially considering Community Policing is a section that requires team members to juggle a variety of roles and tasks. Officers in the section handle bike patrols, crime prevention, community relations, found property, public information, the special response team, and other duties as assigned. They do it all with a team of about 20 people, civilian and military. Caylor said he has no complaints.

“These guys have made my job very easy,” Caylor said. “These guys come to work every day and do their jobs. You never have to follow behind and check on them.”

Sgt. Andrew Samarripa Jr., team lead, crime prevention and community services, nominated Caylor for the award.

Samarripa based his nomination on the previous awards that Fort Hood has received and combined that recognition with what Caylor has brought to the DES team.

“He brought everything full circle,” Samarripa said. “He manages, but allows us to do what we need to do complete our mission. He empowers the team to get a high-performance output.”

This year, the Community Policing efforts have focused on working with Fort Hood youth to prevent crime and educating Family members to better protect themselves against criminal activity, Samarripa said.

Caylor said the efforts of his team have been made more impressive as the Army and civilian workforce have been facing cuts.

“There is a new fiscal reality, and I have been impressed by the way the guys maintained their focus with so much integrity,” he said. “They not only met my expectations, they far exceeded them.”

Among the section’s accomplishments over the past year, they have trained a new bicycle patrol team and worked on certifying the new SRT, while making sure the day-to-day requirements were met.

Under Caylor’s leadership, his section has found ways to do more with available resources and manpower. It was that style of leadership that led to this year’s award.

“Managers are nominated by their peers,” Jeffrey McGowen, president, TCPA, said. “We go through the process and find the one that supports their team and the mission of the TCPA.”

That mission is focused on crime prevention, and Fort Hood has made an impression on the state agency.

“The last two years that I’ve been involved, it seems like Fort Hood has really stepped up and embraced crime prevention efforts,” McGowen added.

This year, Caylor was selected from a pool of not only military or even law enforcement, but also from professional crime prevention agencies.

Caylor has been in the section since 2009 and on Fort Hood, except for a short break in 2006, since 1998.

He said he considers his team like a Family.

“We all sacrifice for each other,” Caylor said. “We are a Family here, and everybody is a part of that Family.”

Fort Hood Police Chief Maj. Joseph Elsner said the efforts in Community Policing have resonated across the department and beyond, and the recognition is well-deserved.

“Other installations are contacting us constantly asking how we do it,” Elsner said. “This is just one more award to show that they don’t win by default.”