Candidate for IACP 4th Vice President: Ronald Sellon
I am Chief Ronald Sellon and I am honored to serve as the current IACP Vice President-Treasurer, a position I have held since 2020. With nearly three decades of law enforcement experience—including 12 years as Chief of the Mansfield Police Department—I have dedicated my career to advancing public safety through innovation, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to best practices in policing.
My journey with the IACP began in 2013 when I joined the Legal Officers Section, quickly followed by an appointment to the Human and Civil Rights Committee in 2016. During my tenure, I chaired the Constitutional Policing and Best Practices Subcommittee, where I had the privilege of presenting at annual conferences on critical topics such as regional policing strategies and constitutional policing. Additionally, I contributed to key initiatives, including the IACP’s Enhancing Community Response to Hate Crimes project and the update of the IACP Police Facility Construction Guidelines. I’ve also contributed to several articles published in IACP’s Police Chief Magazine.
As IACP’s Vice President-Treasurer, I helped steer the organization through financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida, ensuring not only stability but also financial growth despite lost conference revenue. During my tenure we also saw budget and membership increases, resulting in more resources for our members.
I hold a Master’s in Public Safety Administration, and a Juris Doctor law degree. My commitment to professional development has led me to attend the FBI National Academy (245th session), the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, and the Anti-Defamation League’s Counterterrorism Seminar in Israel.
As the 14th Chief of the Mansfield Police Department, I oversee public safety for a community of 24,000 residents and a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. I am a strong advocate for regionalization in law enforcement and serve as First Vice President of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, which provides specialized services to nearly one million residents across 40 communities.
From 2016 to 2019, our department achieved a 30% reduction in domestic violence incidents and overdoses, earning the 2019 IACP Leadership in Community Policing Award. These successes reflect my unwavering belief in the power of teamwork, strategic innovation, and community partnerships.
I am committed to fostering a culture of wellness, resilience, and forward-thinking leadership within the IACP. With your support, I look forward to contributing to the continued progress of our profession. I humbly ask for your vote in Denver this October.
See his message to voters.
Candidate Statement
Dear IACP Members:
I hope to have your vote in Denver!
A short background:
- 2013 - I was appointed Police Chief of the Mansfield Police Department
- 2013 – Became a member of the IACP and quickly joined the Legal Officers section
- 2016 - I was appointed to IACP’s Human and Civil Rights Committee
- Led the Constitutional Policing and Best Practices Subcommittees
- Contributed to key white papers and initiatives and presented at the annual conference
- 2020 – Elected to the Executive Board as Vice President-Treasurer, a position I was re-elected to in 2023
With the full support of my department (as evidenced by their union vote to unanimously endorse my campaign), I am asking for your support in my campaign for 4th Vice President.
My mission is clear: to provide our law enforcement leaders with the tools, resources, opportunities and advocacy they need to thrive. The challenges we face are evolving, and our responses must evolve with them. If I have the privilege of being elected as 4th Vice President, I will continue to be committed to the following initiatives:
- Enhancing Officer Safety and Wellness and Recruitment and Retention efforts – Supporting our officers is critical to improving recruitment and retention, ensuring they have the resources needed to maintain their physical and mental well-being. We have made significant progress, but there is still much work to do, as there are many initiatives the Executive Board has started, but need to see through to completion.
- Advancing Intelligence and Communication Resources – Strengthening intelligence-sharing capabilities to provide actionable information that enhances public safety and agency effectiveness. Better-informed police are safer police, just as better-informed community members yield safer communities. We need to break down silos and other barriers to the effective flow of actionable information to end user officers.
- Championing Stronger Job Protections for Police Chiefs – Addressing the concerning trend of decreasing police chief tenure by advocating for fair and reasonable protections against reactionary removals. Progress gets inhibited with political interference too often.
My commitment to this profession extends beyond my role as chief. I sought out IACP not because it was expected of me, but because I believed in its mission. I actively pursued opportunities to learn, to contribute, and to champion the needs of law enforcement professionals across the country. My passion has always been to stand up for our profession and to advocate for the 18,000 police departments across the United States that work tirelessly to serve their communities with integrity.
Through my tenure with IACP, I have had the privilege of serving on various Sections, committees and as Vice President-Treasurer since 2020. These experiences have allowed me to contribute to numerous large-scale initiatives for the IACP including: the trust-building campaign, The Police Facility Construction guidelines, and Enhancing law enforcement responses to Intellectual disabilities in communities. IACP has provided me with a platform to drive meaningful change, and I am eager to continue that work as your 4th Vice President.
The IACP presidency is not about me or any single candidate—it is about all of us. It is about what we, as Policing professionals, can accomplish together through mass collaboration and teamwork. It is about the future of policing and ensuring that the next generation of officers step into a profession that is stronger than ever before. I feel my decade plus of experience and contributions to the work of IACP qualify me to continue that as 4th Vice President.
I invite you to learn more about my vision at ronaldsellon.com and to connect with me directly via LinkedIn. No matter the challenge you face, I am committed to leveraging IACP’s vast network to help you find solutions. That is my pledge to you now and in the future.
I ask for your support, your attendance in Denver, and your vote. Together, we can continue building a safer, stronger, and more resilient Policing profession.
Social Media Handles
- Twitter: https://x.com/RASellon
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldasellonesq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonaldASellon
