June 9, 2014
The South Carolina Community Development Association awarded the City of Aiken with its 2014 Award of Excellence, honoring Aiken’s Safe Communities Approach to reduce violent crimes.
The Award of Excellence recognizes community development projects that have significantly improved the community and served as catalysts for further improvements to the area’s quality of life.
Aiken Public Safety’s Safe Communities Approach is a long-term process to develop community partnerships and relationships to reduce violent crime in the city, according to a press release. Statewide and local law enforcement agencies work together under the Joint Law Enforcement Task Force and the Aiken Safe Communities Action Team with volunteer citizens to identify violent offenders in the community and get those offenders the services and assistance to reduce repeat offenses.