Gainesville, VA, April 18, 2023 ─ The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA®), the Gold Standard in Public Safety, is pleased to announce the appointment of three new delegates. They are Chief Carl Schinner, La Plata (MD) Police Department, Chief (ret.) Shanon Gillette, Downers Grove (IL) Police Department, and Secretary Manuel Alonso Garcia, Secretaria de Seguridad Publica del Estado de Aguascalientes. All appointments are effective April 1, 2023.
Carl Schinner is chief of police for the La Plata (MD) Police Department. Prior to the chief appointment, he was a patrol division commander for the Greenbelt (MD) Police Department, where he began his career in public safety in 1987. Throughout his service within that agency, he worked in various operational and administrative components and led the agency to receive its first CALEA Accreditation Award. Chief Schinner holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Management and Leadership from Liberty University. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as the first vice president of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. Chief Schinner has also served as a CALEA Assessor.
Shanon Gillette retired as chief of police for the Downers Grove (IL) Police Department in January 2023. Chief Gillette began his career with the department in 1993 as a patrol officer. Throughout his service, he worked in various operational and administrative positions. He holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Johnson University, a Master of Science in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Benedictine University. Chief Gillette also is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy and has served as a CALEA Assessor. He is currently an adjunct professor and Interim Program Director of Public Safety Administration at Lewis University.
Manuel Alonso García is the Secretary of Public Safety for Secretaria de Seguridad Publica del Estado de Aguascalientes. Within his professional career, he has been the Secretary of Public Safety and Municipal Traffic of the city of Puebla, and Secretary of Public Safety of the state of Puebla. Secretary Garcia also served as Dean of the Puebla Police Training and Development Academy-Merida Initiative. He holds a postgraduate degree in Public Safety and Police Sciences, as well as a Master's Degree in Criminal Sciences from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, and has a degree in law. Mr. Garcia has been the regional delegate of the National Association of Police Chiefs and vice president of the National Association of Police Shooting Instructors.
The knowledge and experience these individuals bring to CALEA ensure the organization continues to meet its mission of promoting professionalism within the field of public safety. CALEA congratulates and welcomes these individuals as CALEA Delegates.
About CALEA
The organization was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement's major executive associations: the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; the 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