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May 31, 2025 A few highlights from the PERF Annual Meeting in Nashville
PERF members, It was wonderful to see so many of you this week at our Annual Meeting in Nashville! Here are a few highlights from the conference.
Chief John Drake opens the 2025 PERF Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.
MNPD Drill and Ceremony Team conducts the opening ceremony for the 2025 PERF Annual Meeting.
PERF Board members Chief Brian O’Hara, Chief Johnny Jennings, and Chief John Drake welcome attendees to the PERF Annual Meeting. The First Six Months Yesterday we held a panel discussion about PERF’s new book on navigating the first six months of a police chief or sheriff’s tenure. Panelists shared thoughts on various aspects of managing their first months on the job.
Chief Ramon Batista, Chief Malik Aziz, retired chief Rick Myers, Chief Paul Noel, Sheriff Robert Luna, and Chief Lisa Davis participate in the First Six Months panel. Santa Monica (CA) Chief Ramon Batista: “Something that needs to be navigated in the first six months is understanding the relationship between the officers and the community they serve, especially in situations where the community member is within their right to say, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ How does that interaction go after that? What do your complaints look like? What is the community telling you? What are the officers telling you? What is the body-worn camera telling you?” Prince George’s County (MD) Chief Malik Aziz: “I need to settle in for employees to talk to me. I’m going to reassure them that nothing is going to happen to them right now, because I’m going to be meeting with everybody and talking to everybody. So I can reassure them about where they stand for now. Because people can keep up a charade for three weeks, but by three months, the true you comes out. So I’d tell people that changes are going to happen, but they’re not happening right now.” Austin (TX) Chief Lisa Davis: “I was here six months before I did any demotions. I made every assistant chief apply for their job, and opened it up to lieutenants and above to apply to be assistant chiefs, then put a panel together to do interviews. That was eye-opening to have lieutenants come and do that process. A couple shined through, and I actually promoted two lieutenants to assistant chiefs. Talent is there, but you have to look for it.” Retired Colorado Springs Chief Rick Myers: “I’ve had eight first six months, and they’ve all been different. You learn a lot. One thing that is pretty common is internal affairs comes in with a really thick folder and says, ‘Chief, we’ve been waiting for you to get here.’ It’s challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to send a message to the organization.” Knoxville (TN) Chief Paul Noel: “One of my mentors is [former New Orleans police superintendent and Baltimore police commissioner] Michael Harrison. On weekends Mike calls people and checks on them. I try to do the same thing. In the last year or so, I’ve called some of my co-workers back home [in New Orleans] on a regular basis to check in with them, especially after the terror attack in New Orleans and the Super Bowl, about some of the challenges they’re going through. I challenge everyone in a leadership position to find a core group of people and pay that forward. It doesn’t have to be lonely at the top. This job is really challenging, but we all need a strong support network, so try to pay it forward.” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna: “A difference between a police chief’s job and a sheriff’s job is that it’s an elected position. There are many camps in the department, and when you come in, people are already lined up. ‘Hey, I supported you, so can I get this position or that position?’ And they’re all ready to tell me who didn’t support me. I wanted to change that immediately. . . . I gave everybody a chance, including people who supported the other candidate. I said, ‘It’s going to be based on your competency, integrity, and what you bring to the table.’ That settled things down, and I knew I had to start from the inside by treating people with dignity and respect.” Immigration We began our Town Hall Meeting on Thursday with a discussion of how the federal government’s current emphasis on immigration enforcement has affected local law enforcement agencies. Attendees had different perspectives, but they generally expressed a couple concerns. First, they worry that greater federal enforcement efforts are increasing fear of law enforcement in some communities where local police have built trust. Without that trust, people may be less likely to report being victims of or witnesses to crimes. Local chiefs and sheriffs said they are making an extra effort to reach out to their communities to maintain trust and distinguish between the roles of federal and local law enforcement agencies. Second, attendees said they greatly value their existing federal partnerships and are concerned that agents with the FBI, ATF, DEA, and other federal agencies will be taken off violent crime task forces to work on immigration enforcement initiatives. Local chiefs and sheriffs want enforcement actions taken against violent criminals, no matter their immigration status. But there are only so many federal agents working in each city, and time they spend on lower-level immigration enforcement is time they’re not spending on gun violence, drug trafficking, and other more serious offenses. PERF Leadership Award PERF’s 2025 Leadership Award was presented to Chief Tom Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police. Chief Manger retired this week after four years leading the agency through the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol building. He began his career with the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department, serving as the chief from 1998 to 2004. From 2004 to 2019 he led the Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Department. Throughout his career he has been actively involved in PERF, and he served as the vice president of our board while he was with Montgomery County.
Chuck Wexler (right) congratulates Tom Manger. “[Chief Manger] has made such a huge impact on policing that he could be the only person for this award,” PERF Board President John Drake said in announcing the award. “He spent 42 years in policing, then retired and went into the private sector for a while. Then we had the insurrection on January 6th and he was so impacted by that that he decided he wanted to come out of retirement, take over that agency, and do something to help the profession.” “I thought I was done after Montgomery County, but it has been the honor of a lifetime to be a part of the Capitol Police,” Chief Manger said in accepting the award. “As the chief in Fairfax County and Montgomery County, I felt like I was serving my community. At the Capitol, I felt like I was serving my country. . . . This was a team effort. We accomplished a lot at the Capitol. After January 6th, it’s hard to comprehend how many challenges were there. The only thing that didn’t fail that day was the courage and resilience of the men and women of the Capitol Police Department. They fought the good fight, and I have been so proud and honored to serve with them.”
Tom Manger accepts the Leadership Award from Chief John Drake. Covenant School Shooting Chief John Drake, Director of Media Relations Don Aaron, and Commander Scott Byrd from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department gave a powerful, detailed presentation on the tragic events of the March 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville. The MNPD’s response to this tragic incident demonstrated how a well-trained, professional police department handles an active shooter situation. By responding quickly and properly, these officers saved lives. I was particularly struck when MNPD showed us video of comments made by one of the responding officers, Detective Sergeant Jeff Mathes, about a week after the shooting. “I took an oath on June 4th of 2012 to serve and protect this community,” Det. Sgt. Mathes said. “My family sometimes comes second. It has to.” There are few other professions that would say that. It was an honor to be hosted by such a professional, well-trained agency.
MNPD Public Affairs Director Don Aaron presents on the agency’s response to the Covenant School mass shooting.
Thanks to everyone who joined us in Nashville this week, and a special thanks to Chief John Drake and everyone else at the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department who welcomed us to their city. Best, Chuck |
