Chief Scott C. Booth, chief of police for the City of Danville, Virginia, has been named as a recipient of the Frederic Milton Thrasher Award by the National Gang Crime Research Center.
The award recognizes Chief Booth’s accomplishments for superior leadership in law enforcement, specifically as it relates to reducing gang-related crime in the community.
“I am honored to be recognized for the work we have done to reduce violent crime in the City of Danville, Virginia. I would like to thank city officials, community members, and especially the members of the Danville Police Department, for working tirelessly to reduce gang violence in our community through evidence-based focused policing efforts and our proactive community engagement model. Our city is safer because of our collaborative approach and commitment to forging long-lasting community partnerships that will serve the City of Danville’s residents for years to come.”
Chief Booth received the award at the National Gang Crime Research Center’s national training conference held on July 31-August 2, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois.
Booth has been the chief of police in Danville since February 2018. He has previously been recognized for his success in crime reduction by Radford University’s Center for Police Practice, Policy, and Research in 2020 with the Excellence in Policing Award.
Additionally, Chief Booth was recognized for his exceptional achievements in creating the Danville community policing model and was awarded the Innovation in Government Award in 2022 by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
Chief Booth and Assistant Chief David Whitley are in Chicago this week to also present The Danville Model: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Gang Violence Through Focused Policing and Community Engagement during the conference.