A research faculty member and recipient of numerous national and international policing awards from Florida State University’s College of Criminology & Criminal Justice has been named to the board of directors of the National Policing Institute (NPI).
Darrel Stephens is the director of the Policing Research and Policy Institute in the Center for Criminology & Public Policy Research in the College.
NPI’s board of directors “provides guidance and governance to NPI through its blended perspective of experience, expertise, and public service within and outside of policing,” the organization said in a statement.
Stephens said the appointment is an acknowledgement of a career devoted to policing, which began in 1968 as an officer in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I think it’s an indication of what I have tried to contribute to policing in all the various positions I’ve held in my career,” Stephens said. “This is both an honor and an opportunity to continue to make a contribution to policing.”
Stephens has served as the chief of five different police departments, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg where he oversaw a department of 2,100 personnel and in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he subsequently served as the city administrator.
Stephens’ career includes a host of recogntions, including the Robert Peel Medal for Outstanding Leadership in Evidence-Based Policing. The award, which is bestowed by Cambridge University in England, is one of the highest honors in the field.
He has also led the Police Executive Research Forum, a leading policing research organization and the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which includes departments from the 20 largest cities in North America.
A hallmark of Stephens’ career was an openness to new approaches and perspectives. As police chief in Newport News, Virginia, Stephens’ department created a model of problem-oriented, community policing. That model was later adopted by departments across the country and in Canada and Australia.
Stephens said he made a point of welcoming researchers into the organizations he led, paving the way for data-driven approaches and solutions that could translate throughout policing.
“His contributions to policing are unparalleled,” said Thomas Blomberg, dean of the College. “Darrel is a true pioneer in the research of police leadership and management. He also happens to be one of the nicest people you will meet.”
Four other new board members are joining Stephens; they include: former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; Professor Jeremy M. Wilson of Michigan State University and founder of the Police Staffing Observatory; Rory Steyn, former law enforcement executive in the South African Police Service, and team leader of President Nelson Mandela’s protection team.