National Policing Institute Honors Chief Kathleen M. O’Toole And Sheriff Jerry L. Clayton

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The National Policing Institute (NPI) today announced two law enforcement leaders receiving the national nonprofit’s most prestigious annual awards. Both honorees are recognized for their significant contributions and lasting impact on policing and the communities they served throughout their careers.

Chief Kathleen M. O’Toole is awarded the Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy Award for Leading Change in Policing. Chief O’Toole adopted a groundbreaking focus on public safety reform that influenced her leadership on agencies in Boston, Seattle, and Ireland.

Sheriff Jerry L. Clayton, honoree of the Hubert Williams Equal Justice and Effective Policing Award, leads the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan, where he made a career-long commitment to community wellness.

“Chief O’Toole and Sheriff Clayton are two leaders who have influenced the police profession in multiple ways on local, national, and international levels over the course of their successful careers,” said NPI President Jim Burch. “Their bold approach in going against convention to gain the trust and support of their constituents has elevated policing to exceptional levels and is perfectly aligned with NPI’s mission to positively impact police practices.”

Chief O’Toole began her career as a Boston police patrol officer and rose through the ranks of local and state policing in Massachusetts. She served as Chief of the Metropolitan District Commission Police, Lieutenant Colonel in the Massachusetts State Police, and Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety. She then became the first female police commissioner of the Boston Police Department.

Her community responsiveness and leadership during turbulent times led to her involvement with the Northern Ireland Peace Process, where she was a member of the Independent Commission on Policing. Chief O’Toole later became the first Chief Inspector of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in the Republic of Ireland. When she returned to the US, she served as Seattle Police Chief.

O’Toole’s philosophy is simple. “I don’t believe in a top-down approach to policing, but rather a grassroots approach, listening carefully to officers on the front lines and those living in the neighborhoods we serve,” she said. “If you engage authentically with your officers and the community, the likeliness of success is far greater.”

Chief O’Toole says she is humbled by the Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy Award, which honors a police professional who has taken bold steps to improve, reform, or advance policing from within the profession. She says she has enormous respect for NPI’s work as a thought leader in policing.

“NPI has done a great job of bridging theory and practice and designing solutions that apply to the real world,” Chief O’Toole added.

O’Toole is the founder of the international consulting firm O’Toole Associates LLC, a partner at 21st Century Policing Solutions, and a practicing attorney.

Sheriff Clayton has served as a criminal justice professional for more than 36 years and will retire this year after four terms as the longest-serving and first Black sheriff in Washtenaw County history. He began his career as a corrections officer and held leadership roles as corrections commander, police services commander, deputy sheriff, and SWAT team commander.

Sheriff Clayton led the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office through significant cultural and structural changes. He took office in 2009 when several deputies were under federal indictment due to the death of a Black man during an arrest. Sheriff Clayton realized that to be successful, the agency had to understand the needs of the community.

“If you can create well communities – making sure people have housing, food, and jobs – safety improves,” commented Sheriff Clayton. “Safety is a byproduct of a well community. Police also need to acknowledge mistakes to gain credibility in the community. Policing is a service. We should not be viewed as a necessary evil.”

Sheriff Clayton places a priority on understanding mental health issues in the community and developed a training program that will soon be required for all law enforcement officers in the state of Michigan. He previously provided training, monitoring, and consulting services to the US Department of Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the National Sheriffs’ Association. Sheriff Clayton is a founding member of the National Council on Criminal Justice, served on the National Police Foundation’s Council on Policing Reforms and Race, and was recently named 2024 Sheriff of the Year by the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association.

The Hubert Williams Equal Justice and Effective Policing Award, which recognizes a police professional who champions and promotes fairness, equal justice, and the civil rights of all, represents what Sheriff Clayton and his team have accomplished in Washtenaw County over the past 16 years.

“I am humbled to receive this award, but it truly reflects the work of the 400 men and women of WCSO,” said Sheriff Clayton. “I have just been fortunate to be a part of the team and to champion our efforts.”

Both honorees will be formally recognized during a private reception this October in Boston, Massachusetts. 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL POLICING INSTITUTE

Established in 1970, the National Policing Institute (NPI), formerly known as the National Police Foundation, is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to pursuing excellence in policing through science and innovation. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, NPI is leading the way in promoting and sharing evidence-based practices and innovation across policing and communities nationwide. For more information about NPI, visit policinginstitute.org.

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SOURCE National Policing Institute