Darrel Stephens

Mr. Darrel Stephens is the Executive Director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and a Faculty Member of Johns Hopkins University. An accomplished police executive, Mr. Stephens has over 40 years of experience. His career began as a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri in 1968. In addition to his police experience, he served for two years as the city administrator in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has 22 years of experience in a police executive capacity including almost nine years as the Chief of Police of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). In addition, he served as Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum from 1986 until 1992.

Perhaps best known for advancing innovative approaches to policing, Mr. Stephens has earned a national reputation as a leader in policing. He served as the President, Vice President and Legislative Committee Chair of the Major Cities Police Chiefs Association while Chief of Police in Charlotte. Throughout his career, he has taken on difficult and challenging opportunities, and championed strategic technology investments to enhance employee productivity.

He has written extensively about policing, consulted extensively and is a frequent speaker advocating progressive policing approaches. He received the prestigious Police Executive Research Forum’s Leadership Award and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Wilson Award. He was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2005 and frequently is called on to participate in study panels. In 2006 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from Central Missouri State University. He was inducted into the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame in 2010 and also received the Distinguished Achievement Award Evidence-Based Crime Policy.

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