Cotter Award Presented
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| Retired Police Chief Gary Leonard, holding the Cotter Award plaque, poses with Executive Director Sylvester Daughtry, Jr. (left) and Commission Chair Jim O'Dell. |
Retired Chief of Police Gary Leonard was honored with the presentation of the James V. Cotter Award at the CALEA Summer Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. This prestigious award recognizes Chief Executive Officers who have successfully brought three or more new agencies into CALEA Accredited status.
Chief Leonard successfully brought the following agencies into law enforcement accreditation: Grand Junction (CO) Police Department in November 1989; Sandy City (UT) Police Department in November 1993; and West Sacramento (CA) Police Department in November 2002.
Additionally, Chief Leonard has directly assisted several other agencies located from coast to coast, through the accreditation process, earning him the nickname “the Johnny Appleseed of Accreditation.” He is also a past CALEA Commissioner, having served from 1994 – 1997. Chief Leonard and his wife, Carol, are residing in Lincoln, California.
This award is named for James V. Cotter, who came to CALEA in 1980 as the first Executive Director, and is credited with having the foresight and diplomatic skills to form the coalitions that developed the standards, bylaws, and procedures that evolved into the current Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
