Jewish Peninsula is proud to announce that Newport News Police Detective Rhett Henley has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Lamplighter Award, recognizing his extraordinary dedication to protecting and serving the local Jewish community.

The Lamplighter Award honors individuals who illuminate the community through selfless service. Like the traditional lamplighter who carried flame from lamp to lamp along darkened streets, recipients of this award understand that their gifts and talents are meant to be shared, not hoarded. They walk their path with purpose, lighting the way for others—knowing that in sharing their light, they don't diminish their own flame but rather brighten the entire community. The Lamplighter Award recognizes that true leadership isn't about burning brightest, but about ensuring no one is left in darkness.

"Detective Henley has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty in his work with our Jewish community,"  shared Jewish Peninsula CEO Eric Maurer.  "He has spent a considerable amount of time and energy understanding our needs and seeking out opportunities to address them.  Our community is more secure because of him."   

His initiatives include:

• Enhanced Security Integration: Detective Henley worked closely with Jewish institutions to integrate their video surveillance systems into the Newport News FUSUS system, providing the department with live coverage of all Jewish facilities throughout the city in the event of an emergency.​

​

• School Facility Hardening: He assisted the Sarfan Early Childhood Center in securing state grant funding to enhance their security infrastructure, including expanded camera coverage, access control systems, and protective window film.

​

• Financial Relief for Houses of Worship: Most recently, recognizing the substantial financial burden Jewish institutions face in hiring off-duty law enforcement for security, Detective Henley partnered with Jewish Peninsula to secure state grant funding for the 2026 calendar year. This initiative will create a dedicated fund within the police department to cover security costs for Newport News synagogues that hire off-duty officers for prayer services, with the hope of fully offsetting these expenses.

"Under the leadership of Chief Steve Drew, Newport News Police Department's steadfast commitment to protecting our Jewish community is truly remarkable," shared Maurer.  "This level of municipal community engagement is rare and serves as a model that others aspire to emulate."

Detective Henley began his career with the Newport News Police Department in 2009. Over the past 15 years, he has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, detective in various units, and as a member of a Federal Task Force. In 2021, he was assigned to the department's Real Time Crime Center, where he continues to serve. Detective Henley also contributes to training police recruits at the academy and provides ongoing instruction for current officers and crime analysts.

"Detective Henley is an asset to both the Newport News Police Department and our community," shared NNPD Chief Steve Drew. "Detective Henley's work helps to build public trust, demonstrating how engagement between the police and community can lead to positive outcomes. We congratulate Detective Henley on this well-deserved award."

The inaugural Lamplighter Award will be presented to Detective Henley at Jewish Peninsula's annual Hanukkah celebration in City Center, where he will be honored with the lighting of the community's grand menorah.  The community is encouraged to join on December 14 at 6pm at the City Center Market Stage as we thank Detective Henley and celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with live music, latkes, sufganyot and community.