Gainesville, VA, September 12, 2023 ─ The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), the Gold Standard in Public Safety, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new Commissioners. They are Chief Matthew Benson, Cumberland (RI) Police Department, Chief Ed Drain, Plano (TX) Police Department, Chief Estella Patterson, Raleigh (NC) Police Department, and John Lumpkins, Jr., Esq. Goochland County (VA) Board of Supervisors. Additionally, five current CALEA Commissioners have been reappointed. Commissioners Benson, Drain, and Lumpkins are appointed effective October 1, 2023. All other appointments and reappointments are effective January 1, 2024.
Matthew Benson has been chief of the Cumberland (RI) Police Department since 2022. He previously served 19 years with the Johnston (RI) Police Department in various operational and administrative components, including Accreditation Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University. He also has a Doctor of Education from Johnson & Wales University. Chief Benson is a member of several professional organizations and has received service awards and instructor certifications.
Ed Drain has led the Plano (TX) Police Department as chief of police since 2020. Prior to this appointment, he was chief of the Amarillo (TX) Police Department. With 29 years of public safety experience in Texas, he has served in many capacities and has received executive and leadership training, including the FBI National Academy. Chief Drain served in the United States Army on active duty and as a reserve officer for over 24 years. as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer and received several awards and decorations. In 2007, he retired as a lieutenant colonel. Chief Drain holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Master of Business Administration from Amberton University.
John Lumpkins, Jr. is a member of the Board of Supervisors in Goochland County, Virginia and a managing partner of Turner, Lumpkins & Blackwell, PLC in Richmond, VA. He has a variety of experience in the criminal justice and legal system and he also served as a police officer for the Fairfax County (VA) Police Department. Mr. Lumpkins holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Dayton in Ohio and a Juris Doctor from the University of Richmond, in Virginia.
Estella Patterson is the chief of police for the Raleigh (NC) Police Department. Prior to this appointment, she served 25 years with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC) Police Department, elevating through the ranks to deputy chief. Chief Patterson is a member of several professional associations such as the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and president of the North Carolina Executives Association. Chief Patterson holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Oklahoma, and is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy.
The reappointed Commissioners include Mr. Kirk Bednar, Brentwood (TN) City Manager; Director Renee Gordon, Alexandria (VA) Department of Emergency Communications; Sheriff John Samaniego, Shelby County (AL) Sheriff’s Office; Director Jeffrey Smythe, North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards Division; and Chief Janet Moon, Peachtree City (GA) Police Department.
The knowledge and experience these Commissioners bring to CALEA ensures the organization continues to meet its mission of promoting professionalism within the field of public safety. CALEA congratulates and welcomes our new and returning Commissioners.
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About CALEA
The organization was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations: International Association of Chiefs of Police; National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; National Sheriffs' Association; and the Police Executive Research Forum.
The purpose of CALEA’s programs is to improve the delivery of public safety services, primarily by: maintaining a body of standards, developed by public safety practitioners, covering a wide range of contemporary public safety topics and responsibilities; establishing and administering an accreditation process; and recognizing professional excellence.
Specifically, CALEA’s goals are to: strengthen crime prevention and control capabilities; formalize essential management procedures; establish fair and nondiscriminatory personnel practices; improve service delivery; solidify interagency cooperation and coordination; and increase community and staff confidence in the agency.
The CALEA Accreditation process is a proven modern management model; once implemented, it presents the Chief Executive Officer, on a continuing basis, with a blueprint that promotes the efficient use of resources and improves service delivery—regardless of the size, geographic location, or functional responsibilities of the agency.
CALEA Accreditation provides public safety agencies an opportunity to voluntarily demonstrate they meet an established set of professional standards based on industry best practices and approved by an all-volunteer Board of Commissioners.
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Source: W. Craig Hartley, Jr., CALEA Executive Director, (703) 352-4225, Extension 137 www.calea.org