Cincinnati Police Sergeant Eric Franz was named Ohio Crime Prevention Practitioner of the Year by the Ohio Crime Prevention Association (OCPA) at their annual conference in Columbus May 8.  The honor recognized his longstanding achievements in crime prevention and his commitment to the community he serves.  A member of the Cincinnati Police Department since 1991, Sergeant Franz served as a neighborhood officer in District Two from 1996 through 2002.  He was instrumental in establishing a strong neighborhood watch program which grew to include over 2000 families in Mt. Washington and adjoining Anderson Township.  He also worked with community council and business representatives to establish a neighborhood substation serving law enforcement, building and health inspectors, and community volunteer groups.  In 2002 he became coordinator for CPD’s citizen volunteer programs.  During his four years in this assignment, the Citizens on Patrol program grew from 200 volunteers in seven neighborhoods to more than 1200 volunteers in 29 neighborhoods.  Cincinnati’s Citizens on Patrol program is the largest in Ohio and eighth largest in the nation.  Sergeant Franz has been active in the field of crime prevention for more than a decade as a member and serving on the board of the OCPA, and as an educator for law enforcement and citizen groups.  He has taught more than 60 neighborhood watch classes and helped to develop OCPA’s “Train the Trainer” program.  He serves as guest instructor in criminal justice programs at the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and Northern Kentucky University.  In his current assignment in District Three, Sergeant Franz works with community leaders, business owners and residents of the district’s neighborhoods to address safety concerns and quality of life issues.  He has been a driving force in the Western Corridor Safe City project that links law enforcement, businesses, schools and community groups using communication and technology to strengthen the economic viability of the area.