Jaired Crofut (Courtesy of Jaired Crofut)

By IAN BENJAMIN
Executive Editor

The Communications department has chosen Jaired Crofut as the recipient of the 2011 Sister Patricia Kane Writing Award in Journalism for an article he published last year.

The article, entitled “Police chief promotes crime fighting initiative,” was originally posted Nov. 3 to the Pine Hills Blog on the Times Union website, and was later published in this publication under the title, “Police Chief Addresses Council of Albany Neighborhoods.” The article detailed an Albany police department program which assigns pedestrian officers to specific neighborhoods for extended periods–their ‘beat.’ By being on foot in the neighborhood officers are able to establish relationships with the residents and become accustomed to the ebb and flow of life in the neighborhood.

Crofut, a junior communications major, will be recognized at Honors Convocation March 24 and presented with a plaque, as well as a check. His name will also be added to the list of winners on the perpetual plaque in the Journalism Lab in the Hearst Center. He is the fifth winner of the award.