Candidate for IACP Third Vice President: Paul Irwin
Paul A. Irwin Jr has served as a Police Chief in multiple agencies for 7 years after retiring in 2017 as a Captain from the Birmingham Police Department. He has been married to Beth Irwin for over 27 years. He has two daughters and two sons. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran who participated in Operation Desert Storm, Hurricane Andrew Relief, Sea Service Deployments and was awarded many commendations during his enlistment. He was awarded the Medal of Valor, South Precinct Neighborhood Block Watch Outstanding Officer of the Year, Combat Cross, Mayor’s Community Relations Committee Outstanding Officer of the Year, Alabama Legislative Medal of Honor, Multiple Life Saving Medals, Law Enforcement Valor Award and Nominated for the Alabama Legislative Medal of Honor multiple times. He has an associate degree from Jefferson State Community College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and a Juris Doctorate and been a member of the Alabama State Bar since 2004. Graduate of the FBI National Academy 266th Session and the Department of Homeland Security Leadership Academy 13th Session. A certified John Maxwell Leadership Team Member. An Adjunct Instructor with the Alabama Northeast Academy, Criminal Justice Adjunct Professor for Jacksonville State University and Blue to Gold Search and Seizure Instructor. He is an Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training, Certified Law Enforcement Executive. He has been on the Alabama Association Chiefs of Police Association board for five years and has been the President of the Alabama Chiefs of Police since 2022. Chief Irwin serves on the Education Committee for the Chief’s Association. He serves on Leadership St. Clair County Board of Directors and Board Member of Metro Criminal Justice Executive Association. He is a National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund Selection Committee member for Destination Zero. He was awarded the 2019 Pell City Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year” and 2023 the Leeds Chamber of Commerce “President’s Award.”
Chief Irwin loves his family, law enforcement, and people. Daily, he is dedicated to building relationships and trust with the communities and people he serves and the officer’s wellness and safety. Chief Irwin’s current goals are to develop an outstanding police department in the City of Leeds, serve those who are serving in law enforcement from the bottom to the top, assist in the recruitment of officers to other law enforcement agencies, and grow this great profession.
Candidate Statement
I want to bring my leadership, education, and experiences from my enlistment in the United States Marine Corps, President of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police, precinct commander in the City of Birmingham, leadership coach, speaker, and legal instructor to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). I enjoy serving law enforcement and know that leadership is the key to success in all ranks of law enforcement, community, and everyday life.
Being there for your department while accepting the responsibility of being elected as the 3rd Vice-President of the IACP is essential. I will be a servant leader to other members of the IACP and enjoy being there to assist other leaders.
One of my first priorities as a member of the IACP board will be to continue the growth of our organization. Together, we must be there to create a vision for recruiting members into IACP. IACP is the largest law enforcement association in the world and does need to grow to continue its reputation for excellence, but it must grow to serve the law enforcement profession better.
I obtained a law degree while working full-time and have practiced for 20 years. This experience has provided me with a strong knowledge of Constitutional Law, Employment Law, Criminal Procedure, Courtroom Procedures, Rules of Evidence, and current legal issues in law enforcement. I am a professor for Jacksonville State University and Alabama Law Enforcement Academies. I concentrate on educating, motivating, inspiring, and sharing great experiences with recruits and college students pursuing our profession.
While my agency has no open positions, I actively recruit for other law enforcement agencies whenever possible. IACP must assist on an international level in recruiting individuals for our profession. This is a significant issue in law enforcement due to the negative image of law enforcement propagated by the mainstream media. Every large city in the United States has problems with recruitment and retention. We are obligated to continue recruiting and getting the best applicants to join our profession without continuing to lower the standards for law enforcement officers.
It is essential to continue to learn regardless of your training to be an asset to those around you. I enrolled and became a Certified Search and Seizure Instructor with Blue to Gold. I utilize this certification and the programs I am licensed to teach in my department. This training is important because so many constitutional issues are obstacles to law enforcement agencies, but they are what our democracy is founded upon and should be protected. When there are violations of these rights, it harms our profession and costs those agencies significantly.
Policies and Procedures are critical for law enforcement to adapt to the Constitution, statutes, and case law. Our association has many great law practitioners, and I am thankful for their influence. However, having a law degree and over 30 years of experience as an active law enforcement officer allow me to have a different perspective and understanding of police work that will serve me well on the board.
I have also experienced firsthand the positive impact of community policing. Throughout my career, I worked almost exclusively in patrol. I desired to have a beat and began to build community and business relationships in those areas. These relationships were key in allowing me to perform my duties effectively as a patrol officer, and I believe the IACP should be making every effort to help provide our officers with effective community police training. The relationships we build with everyone in our profession and communities will make our organizations and communities stronger to reduce criminal activity.
As a chief, I participate in and host community activities and will be someone on the board to share recommendations and ideas for programs we can promote in all of our departments. We have community meetings for concerns and ideas, torch runs, polar plunges, cops on top of a doughnut shop, shop with a cop, coffee with a cop, prayer walks, backpacks for kids, hurricane relief, safe neighborhoods for Halloween, kids and cops events, departmental awards for officers and citizens, Read Across America, National Night Out and other activities. Having someone on the board with experience working in very diverse communities is essential, and I will advocate for those who serve our communities every day while serving on the board.
Our association needs more advocacy for law enforcement and what is in the best interests of our profession. The protection of law enforcement safety needs to continue to be a priority. We need to publicize the great actions of law enforcement and following up on concerns by law enforcement executives. I will be a fearless leader to build these relationships and will always be there for every member and their agency. I will actively listen to questions, concerns and solutions regarding our profession and what IACP can do to be better!
