Norfolk

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The Norfolk Division honors Francis “Bud” Warren, Jr. for his dedication to crime prevention and education at the local, state, and national levels.

In 1990, after serving 42 years in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Warren began serving his local community through the Virginia Beach Crime Solvers and, a year later, the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD). In 1991, he became the founding chairman of the Fourth Police Precinct’s Citizens Advisory Committee. There, he helped to secure a partnership between the police department and Project Lifesaver, a national electronic tracking program used to locate missing autistic children and adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Today, the VBPD is one of a few departments in the country to have a partnership with Project Lifesaver. The department has responded to numerous rescues, all successful with a recovery time of less than 30 minutes. In 1993, the Virginia Beach City Council appointed Mr. Warren to the Virginia Beach Crime Task Force, where he and other members recommended improvements to the city’s criminal justice system, including the establishment of the city’s Juvenile Detention Center, which opened its doors in 2004.

Mr. Warren spends countless hours volunteering with non-profit organizations and assisting with law enforcement crime prevention efforts and training. He also provides support to families of VBPD personnel injured or killed in the line of duty.