Creel elected vice president of AACOP

By Staff
John Hicks FCT Staff Writer
Red Bay Police Chief Pat Creel was recently elected vice president of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police.
The statewide association elected Creel vice president at the AACOP conference that took place Aug. 30 – Sept 1 at the Marriott Shoals Hotel in Florence.
AACOP Executive Director John Anderson said Creel's participation in the association was exemplary.
"Pat has served in other offices in the association," Anderson said. "He served as secretary for the past year and did a fantastic job. This time he ran for vice president, and I'm tickled to death that he was elected. He works hard for the association."
The Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police has a membership of more than 500 law enforcement executives from across the state. AACOP's primary mission is to improve the quality and professionalism of law enforcement in Alabama through state of the art training, according to association officials.
"We have three training conferences a year," Creel said. "The association has a partnership program with Jacksonville State University that provides members with more than 20 hours of executive level workshop training every year."
Creel said training was an integral part of a police officer's job.
"I believe in training," Creel said. "I always have and I always will. The challenges of law enforcement are always changing. It's impossible to over-train a police officer."
Workshop participants earn credits toward the Certification of Law Enforcement Executive Program. The CLEEP program is designed to maintain educational standards for police chiefs.
CLEEP consists of four levels of achievement. Certificates and pins are awarded as each level is achieved.
The curriculum presented at the workshops is developed in cooperation with AACOP.