Foundations of Citizenship, Sergeant Charlie Wakamatsu [DigCitSummit 2017]

Session 2

What are the root principles of good citizenship? How can we cultivate these roots?

Sergeant Charlie Wakamatsu, co-founder of N.O.V.A. Principles shares his top tips he teaches at local schools…

Sgt. Charlie Wakamatsu started his law enforcement career in April of 1984, working for the Honolulu Police Department in Hawaii. While in Hawaii, he was assigned as a patrol officer in downtown Waikiki, and then to the Intelligence and Enforcement Unit investigating organized crime. After four and a half years with the Honolulu Police Department, he moved to Orem, Utah, in 1988, to work for the Orem Department of Public Safety.

While working for Orem City, he was assigned to work patrol, and in the departments Gang Task Force Unit. He became a certified fire fighter in 1990, and became an Arrest Control Tactics Instructor as well. In July of 1993, he was promoted to Police Sergeant, where he supervised the Community Education Unit, and taught the DARE and Officer Friendly programs for 10 years.

In March of 2003, Sgt. Wakamatsu was given the assignment to create a new drug awareness program for Orem City. With the help of several officers and Dr. Paul Jenkins, a child and family Psychologist, the N.O.V.A. Principles program was created. This program became such a huge success in Orem, that he founded the N.O.V.A. Principles Foundation in order to share this program to other Law Enforcement Agencies.

In January of 2010, Sgt. Wakamatsu was able to retire from the Orem Department of Public Safety. Soon after retiring, he was hired as a part time reserve police officer to continue teaching the N.O.V.A. program in Orem City, which he continues to do to this day.