Events

In partnership with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Law Enforcement Museum presented Voices for Change: Excellence in Black Law Enforcement Media. This program brought together influential law enforcement officers from around the country who utilize various media platforms such as social networks, public speaking, and documentary films to inspire a new generation of officers and community leaders and create more awareness for the profession of law enforcement and the officers protecting our communities.

Watch this in-depth virtual discussion.

Sponsor

Speakers:

Lieutenant Colonel Kristal Turner-Childs (Ret.)

Pennsylvania State Police
Motivational Speaker

 Kristal Turner-Childs boasts a 25 year-long career as a Pennsylvania State Trooper and was the first African American female Deputy Commissioner of Staff of the Pennsylvania State Police. During her career, she distinguished herself as the first African American female to command a troop, and the second African American female to obtain the rank of Major in the agency’s 117-year history. Turner-Childs earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Elizabethtown College and a master’s degree from Central Penn College. She is also a graduate of both the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy. Turner-Childs has been the recipient of numerous awards including an Honorary Doctorate from Central Penn College and many additional, prestigious accolades. Turner-Childs has a passion for building confidence from the inside out, working as a certified fitness trainer, motivational speaker, and community health advocate.

Assistant Chief Jonni Redick (Ret.)

California Highway Patrol
Author and Public Speaker

Jonni Redick is a decorated Law Enforcement leader, author, and public servant. A 29-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, she rose through the ranks from county clerical worker to breaking through the “less-than-one-percent” ceiling for women of color in executive leadership in law enforcement, retiring as an Assistant Chief. Over her career, she has worked throughout the state of California and retired from Valley Division within the Sacramento region. Throughout her career she served as an incident commander for multiple critical incidents, civil disturbances, mutual aid events, natural disaster response coordination, and oversight. Her books “Survival Guide” to Law Enforcement Promotional Preparation and her leadership memoir “Black, White & Blue: Surviving the Sifting” are a composed from her years of experience in the field.

Officer Anthony Johnson

Columbus (OH) Police Department
Public Speaker and Social Media Influencer

Anthony L. Johnson (AJ) overcame the great obstacles of his youth to become an inspiration for many. Anthony has dedicated his career to helping others and finding creative ways to bridge the gap between police and the communities they serve. Early in his career, Anthony noticed a lack of positive police interactions on social media, he decided to address the issue himself by creating his own social media presence (@OhNoItsDaPoPo) to combat the negativity. He has over 1 million collective followers and his videos have nearly 100 million views. Ohio Governor John Kasich’s office selected AJ to sit on his Community Collaborative board which looks to improve community policing throughout the state. Anthony helped create the #ItsNeeded podcast and speaks for multiple organizations like Humanizing the Badge and Promote Positivity LLC about community policing initiatives and social injustice.

Sgt. Eric McCants

Burke County Sheriff’s Department
Social Media Influencer

Being “proactive instead of reactive” serves as the motivating foundation for Sergeant Eric McCants who shares his experience as a law enforcement leader with nearly 41,000 subscribers on LinkedIn. A 5th degree black belt, McCants has served as a uniformed police officer for a number of agencies, including the Campus Police of Paine College, Augusta, Georiga’s only historically black college and university (HBCU). The love and devotion for his family pushed McCants toward higher degrees of professional and personal excellence which led him to obtain two Bachelor’s degrees and a Master’s Degree that brought him into field operations, and his new role as Field Operations Deputy at the Burke County Sheriff’s Office. McCants’ subject matter expertise, determination, and natural resolve has resulted in numerous promotions at the Burke County Sheriff’s Office.

Special Deputy Sheriff Jim Klock

Stafford County (VA) Sheriff’s Office
Actor and Filmmaker

Actor and filmmaker, Jim Klock has had much success acting in blockbuster projects like the Academy Award-winning “Green Book.” But his passion for filmmaking also includes producing, directing, and creating digital media. Jim has produced several films that have been met with critical acclaim in the industry. But filmmaking was not Jim’s first career. A decorated veteran police officer and former undercover narcotics detective, Jim is a 26-year veteran of Law Enforcement and currently serves as a special deputy sheriff with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office in Stafford, VA. Jim teaches an 8-hour intensive training class at the regional law enforcement academy titled “Introduction to Acting for Undercover and Plain Clothes Officers”. His law enforcement experience inspired him to direct his first feature length documentary “The Thin Black Line” which features the challenges minority officers face today and producing “Service and Sacrifice” for the National Law Enforcement Museum.