Edward Smith
Widely recognized for his leadership in law enforcement professional development, Edward Leonard Smith hoped in 1973 simply to become a Seminole police officer upon graduation from the local junior college. He wasn’t hired. But now 35 years later, after having served in eight other Oklahoma municipal police departments - and as Chief in seven of them – he is now Chief in Seminole. Ed later earned his Master in Criminal Justice Administration degree from Oklahoma City University.
He was one of the first police administrators in the state to advocate for official departmental accreditation. While at Bethany and Blackwell they became the first two departments in the state to achieve national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
This Shawnee native began his unparalleled career in 1973 with the Oklahoma City Police department and served there until 1981 when he was named Assistant Director of the ABLE Commission. In 1982 he was named Chief of Police in Nichols Hills. He later served terms as chief of police in Chickasha, Bethany, Owasso, Blackwell, Clinton, and as interim chief in Piedmont before moving to Seminole in 2007. In between these posts, he also served four years as Director of Criminal Justice at Redlands Community College.
Ed is a graduate of the 182nd Session of the FBI National Academy - the Senior Management Institute for Police - the Rural Executive Management Institute - and the Advanced Management College. He was a member of the Leadership Oklahoma - Class 20. Ed is a gubernatorial appointee to the board of directors for the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. He previously served on the board of commissioners for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Ed’s commitment to excellence in law enforcement earned him separate commendations from Oklahoma Governors David Walters and Frank Keating. He has been an active leader in regional, state, and national associations open to law enforcement administrators. He is the immediate past president of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration.
Ed was a member of the Future Directions One Panel that developed the Collegiate Officer Program implemented by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. In 2007 he was inducted into the Seminole State College Alumni Hall of Fame.
During his stellar career, he has authored numerous articles for state and local publications and served on numerous criminal justice advisory boards. He served three terms as president of Chisholm Trail Counseling Center - now known as Red Rock Behavioral Health Services. State officials also tapped him to serve as chairman of the State Mental Health Board.