National Policing Institute's 2023 Annual Awards Program Honorees
Charles H. Ramsey
2023 Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy Award for Leading Change in Policing Honoree
"To be honored by your peers is incredibly humbling. To be honored with an award named after Patrick V. Murphy is special. He was a true visionary and giant in the field of policing. His leadership left an indelible mark on our profession. I thank the National Policing Institute for selecting me to receive this award."
Commissioner Ramsey
For more than 35 years, Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey has been an iconic innovator in the field of policing since the start of his decorated career. He remained at the forefront of developing innovative policing strategies, leading organizational change, and advancing the law enforcement profession across three major city police departments, beginning with Chicago, then Washington D.C., and finally, Philadelphia. Throughout his tenure in law enforcement, Commissioner Ramsey has supported and facilitated evidence-based policing and experimental evaluations, resulting in positive change within the communities he served.
Commissioner Ramsey established a firm commitment to fighting crime and safeguarding people’s lives, all while committing to providing officers with the tools they need to develop professionally and remain safe while protecting their community.
At the beginning of his career in 1968, Commissioner Ramsey, a Chicago native, began his policing profession as a Chicago Police Department cadet. In 1971, he became an officer with the department, and eventually worked his way up the ranks, serving as the Commander of patrol, investigations, and narcotics. He was later named the Deputy Superintendent of the Bureau of Staff Services in 1994. In this role, Commissioner Ramsey led the department’s education and training, research and development, labor affairs, crime prevention, and professional counseling functions.
Commissioner Ramsey also played an instrumental role in the design and implementation of a nationally acclaimed model of community policing adopted by the Chicago Police Department. This initiative, dubbed the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), created a collaborative effort between law enforcement, the community, and city government to reduce crime in the city. His role in the project allowed him to further establish the department’s strategic vision and develop the appropriate training and communication needed for CAPS to be successful.
Commissioner Ramsey is also known for his innate ability to refocus police departments when it comes to crime fighting and crime prevention. From 1998 to 2006, Commissioner Ramsey served as chief of the Metropolitan Police Department in the District of Columbia where he created an accountable organizational structure, brought in new equipment and technology, and enhanced strategies around community policing. In 1999, Commissioner Ramsey took a bold and courageous step when he requested that the U.S. Department of Justice initiate an independent investigation into the Department over its use of force. US Attorney General John Ashcroft called this decision “an unprecedented act of outreach.”
"Commissioner Ramsey is one of only a handful of bold law enforcement leaders who are courageous enough to publicly acknowledge the need for change and improvement in policing while also demanding respect for the profession and those who so admirably serve, just as he did throughout his career."
Jim Burch, President, National Policing Institute
Commissioner Ramsey also spearheaded new approaches to homeland security and counterterrorism following the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001. He also participated in numerous high-profile investigations and events in Washington D.C., including the 2001 anthrax attacks, the 2002 Beltway Sniper investigation, and the 2001 and 2005 presidential inaugurations.
In January 2008, Mayor Michael A. Nutter of Philadelphia, appointed Commissioner Ramsey as the Police Commissioner for the city. Commissioner Ramsey retired eight years later in 2016 after successfully leading the fourth-largest police department in the nation with more than 6,600 sworn members and 830 civilian members.
While serving as Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Ramsey played a vital role in the department’s significant progress in reducing violent crime in the city. Leaning into his vast experience and specialized talents, he focused on evidence-based policing, organizational accountability, and community policing strategies to achieve a 31% reduction in violent crime and 37% reduction in homicides.
President Barack Obama even recognized Commissioner Ramsey’s effectiveness and innovation in community policing, appointing him as the co-chair of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. This followed several high-profile incidents involving law enforcement’s use of force nationwide.
Commissioner Ramsey holds numerous educational degrees, including his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. He is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, FBI National Executive Institute, and Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security. His accolades and successful career even prompted the Philadelphia Police Department Training Academy Auditorium to be named in his honor.
Commissioner Ramsey continues to be an internationally recognized practitioner and educator in his field and is past president of both the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He is the only law enforcement professional to serve as president of both prominent organizations simultaneously, as well as receive Leadership and Achievement Awards from four national law enforcement organizations including the FBI National Executive Institute, National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund, Police Executive Research Forum, and Major Cities Chiefs Association. He is currently a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, an advisor to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and a Founding Partner in the consulting firm 21st Century Policing Solutions, LLC.
The Honorable Lee P. Brown
2023 Hubert Williams Equal and Effective Policing Award Honoree
“Lee and Hubert were very good friends and colleagues during their time as chiefs of police. Lee embodies the ideals that this award is meant to highlight. Lee understood the need for the law enforcement profession to change and lead the call for a more professional, better educated, and more diverse police force that more closely matches the communities it serves.”
Darrel Stephens, 2022 NPI National Award Honoree
Lee Patrick Brown, a tireless public servant for more than six decades, began his career as a police officer in San Jose, California, in 1960.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Mayor Brown called on police departments to deploy officers to foot patrols and encouraged a visible police presence in high-crime areas and positive public interactions with the community to build support for legitimate policing efforts. Because of his strong advocacy for deterring crime while bridging gaps in community interactions, he is often referred to as the “father of community policing.”
Mayor Brown cemented this focus on community initiatives through previous posts across the nation. In 1975, he was named Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon and in 1976, he became director of the Department of Justice Services.
From 1978 to 1982, Mayor Brown served as the public safety commissioner for Atlanta, Georgia. While there, he and his staff cracked the infamous Atlanta Child Murders case. This case involved the devastating slaughter of 29 Black youth and young adults.
Then, in 1982, Mayor Brown became the chief of police in Houston, Texas, where he developed Neighborhood Oriented Policing, a program employing community policing techniques. He served in this role until 1990 when he was presented the opportunity to serve as the police commissioner of New York City.
“Much like NPI’s third president, Hubert Williams, Lee Brown is a man of uncommon integrity and leadership. His contributions toward initiating positive changes in policing, prioritizing and encouraging diversity in law enforcement, and addressing concerns of bias are exceptional, and it is for that reason, we are honored to give the world only a glimpse into the monumental impact he has made on communities and policing across America.”
Jim Burch, President, National Policing Institute
Mayor Brown was then appointed by President Clinton to be the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy or “Drug Czar,” a cabinet-level position from 1993 to 1996. In 1997, he left an indelible mark on history after being elected the first Black mayor of Houston, Texas. He served the citizens of the city until 2004.
In addition to his decorated career in public service, Mayor Brown was a distinguished scholar and contributed to the education of countless future generations through university teaching posts over the years. He graduated from Fresno State University with his Bachelor of Science degree in criminology in 1961. In 1964, he earned a master’s degree in sociology from San Jose State University where he became assistant professor in 1968. Mayor Brown earned his master’s degree in criminology in 1968 and his Ph.D. in 1970 at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mayor Brown is a respected authority in Public Administration, having served as both chairman and professor of the Department of Administration of Justice at Portland State University in 1968. In addition, he was appointed associate director at the Institute of Urban Affairs and Research, professor of Public Administration, and director of Criminal Justice programs at Howard University in 1972.
A founder of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Mayor Brown has organized around the needs of Black police executives. He also served as the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Today, Mayor Brown is chairman and CEO of Brown Group International, which uses the extensive expertise of its founder to develop solutions to complex problems in public safety, homeland security, crisis management, government relations, international trade, and other concerns.
In recognition of his career-long commitment to promoting a more effective and diverse law enforcement profession, Mayor Lee Brown is honored with the 2023 Hubert Williams Equal Justice and Effective Policing Award.
Watch Highlights from the 2023 Awards Reception
2023 Awards Reception Photo Gallery
