10 minute read
Richard “Dick” Hammon Retires
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Richard “Dick” Hammon Thank you for 46 years of professional and dedicated service to law enforcement.
By: Scott L. Bohn, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association
Richard “Dick” Hammon was born and raised in Huntingdon, PA. He graduated from Huntingdon Area High School in 1968. In March 1974 Dick began his law enforcement career with the Upper Allen Township Police Department. Dick attended the Pennsylvania State Police Academy shortly after his hiring.
In 1978 Dick was promoted to Corporal. In 1979 he graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an A.A. in Police Administration. Dick was also a graduate of the Northwestern Traffic Institute. Prior to becoming a Sergeant in 1985, Dick graduated from the 139th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In 1986 he completed the IPTM Police Management course. In early 1987 he became the Chief of Police for the Upper Allen Police Department. In 1993 Dick became the Accreditation Program Manager for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police. A position he held through 2010. In 2010 Dick became the Chief of the Silver Springs Township Police Department. Dick served as the Chief of Police for 5 years. In 2015 Dick returned to the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police as the Accreditation Program Manager. Executive Board member and past PCPA Executive Director Tom Gross praised Hammon. “I have known Dick for over 25 years as a previous board member (several times), a longtime member, chief, accreditation guru, and all-around supporter of the Association. He has been a true friend to many members, over many years. He once received the President's Award and, in my opinion, he is the member of the century. As they say, behind every good man is a good woman and Dick's wife Linda is one of the best. She has been there for all the years that Dick has and she was tireless and took the initiative to help anytime in any way she could. Dick and Linda have worked tirelessly through countless conferences, meetings, activities, initiatives, and events and always found new ways to support our association. One of his many legacies is the Cumberland County Law Enforcement Memorial which is a reality due to his vision and the foundation he helped to start. There are countless men and women in law enforcement around the country (and abroad) who have experienced the friendship and support of Dick. I know how he has supported me on my own journey, and we will miss such a big piece of our organization.” Dick has been an active member of the FBI National Academy Associates; the Cumberland County Chiefs of Police Association, (President 1998-1999); West Shore Police Association, (President 1978-1981); Central Chiefs of Police Association , (Executive Board); Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association. In 2017 Dick was honored with the PCPA presidents award for his contributions to Law Enforcement. Former Upper Allen Township Police Chief and current PLEAC Chairman Jim Adams said “I have had both the honor and privilege to have worked for and with Dick for over 42 years. He was always the consummate professional and one I could turn to for sound advice. He has been an asset to Law Enforcement in Pennsylvania and beyond and his legacy will live on.” Dick is happily married to his wife of 50 years, Linda. They have 2 daughters, Annika and Karena. Dick plans on some well-earned time and travel with his wife. On behalf of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, the PCPA Staff and our membership, I would like to thank Dick Hammon for his 46 years of professional and dedicated service to law enforcement. As the subject matter expert and coordinator of the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, he has had a significant impact on our profession. His significant efforts, advancements, and improvements will continue to influence law enforcement well into the future. Dick has distinguished himself as person of integrity and character. He has reflected positively on our Association, PLEAC and our profession. Thank you, Dick (and Linda), for your service and sacrifice.
DEAR MEMBERS,
Wow, what a year for our Commonwealth, our Country, and our profession and although there have been more low points than high points for us, we are weathering the storm and will be stronger for it.
I am writing this on November 10th and as of this writing it appears that we have lost the strongest supporter for law enforcement in the White House that I could remember. With the new administration coming in, it is unknown where they may stand on law enforcement given all the vitriol that we heard during the election.
With this being said, it is more important than ever that we stay abreast of what laws are being presented at our Capitol and in Washington DC. Our Executive Director, Scott Bohn, and his staff, with the support of the Executive Committee are hard at work. Director Bohn meets almost daily with legislators and other organizations to navigate and help guide legislation is consistent with professional law enforcement and leadership in our Commonwelath.
We have also had the opportunity to testify before the House of Representatives, concerning law enforcement. The topics ranged from how officers are trained and what training our organization provides along with training taught in the numerous academy’s. It also gave us the opportunity to show that some of the legislation that was being presented concerning training, is training that has been in effect throughout the Commonwealth.
As we move into what could to be a new era in law enforcement, remember that some of us more senior members have been through this type change before and have survived and you will also. Stay strong and look out for your brothers and sisters who are wearing the badge.
I will leave you with this:
Sincerely, John English
CHIEF OF POLICE, EDGEWORTH BOROUGH PCPA PRESIDENT
DEAR MEMBERS,
2020! Who would have anticipated the year of challenges our Pennsylvania law enforcement leaders and personnel have faced this year; a pandemic, civil unrest, the election, political climate, demands for police reform and defunding the police. Our members and the law enforcement profession have dealt with one problem after another.
I feel truly fortunate to serve as the Executive Director of our Association and to have stood with you throughout this challenging year. I have witnessed the tremendous dedication and unwavering courage of police leaders across the Commonwealth. Our law enforcement leaders embraced the challenges and held themselves accountable as they worked through these unprecedented times. Our members have continuously shown that they are compassionate individuals who are willing to sacrifice their safety for their communities. Our law enforcement leaders recognize the moral and professional duty to reflect the values of their communities, and they were proud and committed to upholding that obligation.
Law enforcement is a noble profession. The overwhelming majority of police leaders in Pennsylvania are honorable, committed, and dedicated people. Every day our members attempt to make their communities a better place to live, work and learn. PCPA has attempted to provide our members with the daily support, information, resources, and tools to provide policing services to their communities.
Our legislative efforts, on behalf of the Association, were an important part of our activity this year. The Association provided a great deal of feedback on draft legislation to ensure law makers took our considerations into account. This year, I had the privilege of testifying before the PA House and Senate on police reform issues. We advocated on behalf of our members for preserving qualified immunity, a use of force database, obtaining a statewide database of decertified police officers, the important role of law enforcement, police training and departmental accreditation. Pennsylvania was one of the first states to pass meaningful reforms into law after George Floyd’s death. These are considerable achievements. We advocated for a “seat at the table” and the adoption and approval of well-intended and well-constructed legislation that is crucial to strengthening the communities’ trust in law enforcement. We emphasized that our collective efforts reflect a balanced approach to addressing crime and making community safety our first priority.
The work of PLEAC and our best practices and standards was an Association priority. The work of our Commission members was remarkable. The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Program now addresses 139 standards and 200 sub-standards that cover all the contemporary issues facing law enforcement. The commission posted CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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those standards for all our members on our PCPA website, increasing the Associations transparency and accountability to its membership.
I was also privileged to have access to media outlets through interviews, op-eds, articles, town halls and panel discussions across our state. We made it a priority to inform the general public about the issues challenging law enforcement ensuring that the voice of our members and profession was part of the discussion. We expressed our views on traffic safety, police funding, police reform, justice in policing, police-public engagement, transparency, accountability, new-hiring data base, minority relations, childhood programs, marijuana, impaired driving, and accreditation.
We made improvements to our website and enhanced our presence on many social media platforms. We have strengthened our relationships with other associations to better our capabilities and serve the members of our Association.
Unfortunately, the pandemic prevented us from getting together for our annual education and training conference and networking with membership, sharing ideas, and learning from each other. This interaction is invaluable, but I am looking forward to a great conference at Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos in 2021.
Lastly, I would like to thank our Executive Board and all the members who serve on committees for our association. These highly professional men and women represent all that is great about law enforcement in our state. I would also like to thank the outstanding staff at PCPA. Their amazing dedication and support over the past year has greatly benefited my transition and the Association’s standing.
This has been an extraordinarily busy and productive year for PCPA. I am proud of the Association and the work that has been accomplished. We have had to rapidly reprioritize our objectives this year. It is certainly not what I, or any of us, could have anticipated. I know we are stronger as an association and as a profession. We look forward to the New Year and will continue to meet the new challenges.
We wish you and your family good health and happiness this holiday season and in the coming New Year.
Scott L. Bohn
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