VBPD Lieutenant Takes the L.E.A.D. in Advancing Community Prevention

The Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) is proud to announce that Lieutenant Kevin Lokey has become one of the first law enforcement officers in the nation to complete the new Community Prevention Officer (CPO) Program. Organized by Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence (L.E.A.D.), the program is designed to shape the future of community-based crime prevention across the United States.

Lt. Lokey was selected as one of just 12 officers from eight states to comprise the program’s inaugural class. As part of his rigorous coursework, he was tasked with analyzing the specific needs of the Virginia Beach community and developing local initiatives with measurable outcomes. He later presented his strategic findings at the L.E.A.D. National Training Conference.

To tackle local challenges directly, Lt. Lokey established a comprehensive committee featuring a diverse coalition of representatives. The group includes stakeholders from Virginia Beach city agencies—including the Police Department, Parks & Recreation, Court Services, Human Services, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and Virginia Beach City Public Schools—alongside local non-profit organizations and mothers of victims of gun violence.

The primary mission of the committee is to reduce youth gun violence while tracking the long-term effectiveness of their outreach.

“Over the past year, this committee has met regularly to develop a meaningful curriculum engineered to capture the attention of teens and adolescents,” said Lt. Lokey. “The core focus of this curriculum is the ripple effect of violence—specifically, the profound impact a single bullet can have not just on the victim, but on the families of both the victim and the offender.”

The Virginia Beach Police Department stands fully behind these proactive measures. The department remains dedicated to implementing evidence-based prevention tactics to safeguard the city's youth.

Lt. Lokey and the committee plan to officially launch and offer the new curriculum in early 2027.