The Northwestern Prevention Collaborative is partnering with Northwestern Community Services Board to provide a series of Virtual REVIVE trainings for our community. Register for an upcoming event and become part of our lifesaving network of individuals. Everyone has a role in creating a safe, resilient community!
Blog
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Member Profile: Front Royal Police Department
Front Royal Police Chief Kahle Magalis and his department are kept busy in our small town of just over 15,000 people. In 2020, the department received 15,025 calls for service, including both emergency and non-emergency requests for service.
The Department’s mission is “Safeguarding lives in our community through selfless service to others and the unwavering pursuit of justice for those in need.” Their vision “is to be regarded by our community and our profession as a proactive, professional and premier law enforcement agency in the Shenandoah Valley as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Chief Magalis, who assumed the duties of Chief of Police for the Front Royal Police Department in 2017, strives to create a positive working atmosphere for the people in his department, and to work with the community for the benefit of all. The core values of fortitude, respect, professionalism, and dedication drive the department towards their vision and guides them in their mission.
The Department has six major divisions, with specialized personnel contained within each one.
- The Patrol Division hosts those patrolling in marked and unmarked vehicles, on motorcycles and bicycles, and on foot. It also includes the part-time school crossing guards.
- The Criminal Investigations Division consists of Criminal, Narcotic and Gang Detectives. The Criminal Division handles investigations and interviews/interrogations for a variety of offenses, including fire, homicide/death, and sexual assault. They also handle evidence collection and conduct background investigations. The Narcotics Division works with the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force, which is comprised of the Front Royal, Winchester, Luray, and Strasburg Police Departments, the Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, and Page County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Virginia State Police. They work with Federal partners including the DEA, ATF, and FBI to target mid and upper-level narcotics dealers.
- Specialty Units include the Emergency Services Team (selected officers highly trained for high-risk situations) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (selected officers trained in proven negotiation tactics).
- Services include the Communications Officers who staff a 24-hour, 7-day/week center handling over 20,000 calls per year, including phone calls, 911 calls, and walk-ins. Services also includes the Records Division (the point of contact for all FOIA requests) and the Evidence Division.
- The Front Royal Police Department’s K-9 Unit provides support with highly mobile, specially trained police service K9’s. Currently they have one patrol K9 that is certified for apprehension work. Due to recent legislation, the narcotics K9 program is suspended as we work to identify funding for a new K9 that is trained in narcotics detection that is not imprinted on the odor of marijuana which has now been legalized in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“The Front Royal Police Department chooses to be a member of the Warren Coalition because we believe in their mission to promote safety and health within our community, particularly, our youth population,” Magalis said. He added that the Front Royal Police Department brings to the Coalition the perspective of law enforcement and public safety.
The Front Royal Police Department is also a part of the Front Royal/Warren County Drug Prevention Committee that is working toward bringing treatment services and a Drug Court to our community.
Chief Kahle Magalis -
Recovery Ally Training January 26, 2022
Sponsored by the Northwestern Prevention Collaborative. Recovery Ally Programs are trainings that are designed to increase a community’s recovery capital, decrease stigma and grow intervention skills. The next session of this training will be held virtually on January 26, 2022 from 1 – 4 pm. This training is a 3-hour training developed at Virginia Commonwealth University to train faculty and staff to become Recovery Allies.
Individual modules include:
- Basic Science
- What does an Ally Do?
- Racial Justice and Recovery
- Philosophies of Care & Pathways to Recovery, Families, and Language.
This training is very interactive and is meant to provide a great starting point to supporting people struggling with substance use disorders.
Audience
All are welcome. This training is a very helpful primer as a family member, lay person, friend, employer, health care provider etc. For people with limited exposure to treatment or recovery, it can provide some great starting points. For professionals or people with a great deal of lived experience, it will provide a set of slides, tools and approaches that may be helpful with clients or family members or may provide an easy way to train community members to be part of the solution. Because the training is conversation driven, professionals can often be particularly helpful to other participants during the training.
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Rooted in Kindness Campaign
The Warren Coalition is teaming up with Northwestern Community Services Board Prevention and Wellness Services to focus on positive messaging related to kindness during the month of January, to bring light and inspiration during a time in which there is often high rates of Seasonal Depression and excessive stress and anxiety due to the colder, darker months and COVID-19. The goal of this campaign is to provide inspiration, education, and motivation without minimizing the feelings or complex reality that many face.
The foundation of the campaign is the “tree” which takes on multiple different aspects that can be related to life and the obstacles we face, but how we can continue to grow. The goals of the campaign are to deliver the following through positive messaging:
- To raise awareness about the stigma that surrounds mental health
- To encourage community members to create healthy routines, connect with others, and find the positive despite the current struggles we all face
- To foster connection and resilience in our communities by emphasizing kindness
During each week of the campaign, there will be a call to-action with tips, activities, and education to promote kindness in our communities. There are various ways to engage in the campaign, including social media engagement. To keep up to date with the campaign, follow @LordfairfaxYRA on all social media platforms for infographics, photos, and quotes. Please feel free to share their posts and include their hashtag #NWRootedinkindess.
Get involved. Be creative. Implement #NWRootedinKindess into your everyday work this month. Find ways to connect while educating the community about being kind to self and others.
In addition, yard signs with messages of kindness have been purchased as part of this effort. Interested in displaying a FREE yard sign? Within Warren County, contact the Warren Coalition at wc@warrencoalition.org or call Celeste at 540-660-336. Outside Warren County, email youthresourcealliance@gmail.com.
See a sign? Take a picture and be sure to tag @lordfairfaxyra and use the hashtag #NWRootedinKindess
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Giving Day Donations Hit a Record High
Giving Day was November 30, 2021. An anonymous donor provided a $7,500 matching gift challenge this year. When we began our first comprehensive Giving Day campaign, we knew it would be difficult to reach this ambitious goal.
That anonymous gift provided the catalyst to propel the Coalition to its highest-ever total for Giving Day: we raised approximately $6,000 for Giving Day, a record and quite remarkable for our first Giving Day campaign! Thanks to the matching gift, our total for Giving Day was approximately $12,000. (Numbers are estimated as we wait for the last few days of mail to clear.)
Thank you to the following businesses who helped us make significant strides towards our goal:
Warren County Parks and Recreation
Aire Serv Heating and Air Conditioning
Beth Waller, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty
Family Preservation Services
Bret Hrbek, Edward Jones
Scott Cabazolo, Natural Results ChiropraticsAnd thank you to everyone who contributed to our Giving Day effort. You have made a difference in your community!