The LEAS Team

 David Bonacquisti is a 26-year veteran of law enforcement having recently retired from the Warminster Township Police Department in Bucks County as a Detective in 2023. David had served as a patrol officer until being promoted to detective in 2005. The Warminster Township Police Department became initially accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission in 2008. In 2010, David became the Warminster Township Police Department's Accreditation Manager, and, in that time, he successfully led the police department in being re-accredited on four more occasions. During this same time, he served as a mock assessor and conducted several mock assessments as a mock assessor for the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC).

Aside from being a former detective, David also served as the primary Evidence Custodian for the department. Previously Dave also served as the DNA Evidence Custodian for the Bode Laboratory submissions made to the Central Hub by all police departments in Bucks County. 

David has an Associate degree in Criminal Justice from Montgomery County Community College.

 Leon Crone is currently employed as the Captain of the Lower Allen Township Police Department, where he has worked since 1995. Leon was promoted to his current position in 2016 and serves as the highest-ranking sworn officer at that agency. 

Leon’s agency has been accredited by the Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CALEA) since 1995 and by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since 2006. Leon has served as Accreditation Manager for both programs from 2005 to 2024, leading the agency’s process through CALEA Flagship and Meritorious awards, as well as participating in the initial PLEAC accreditation of the department and the designation of the department as a Premier Agency by PLEAC. He continues to be heavily involved as he mentors his replacement. 

Since 2009, Leon had served on the executive board of the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) serving for 9 years as President of the esteemed organization. In 2020, he stepped down from that role. Since 2007, Leon has served as an assessor for the PLEAC program, conducting countless assessments and mock assessments across the Commonwealth. Leon has served the PLEAC program in many ways, including instructional, administrative, and governance capacities.

In 2021, Leon earned a Master of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from Wilmington University. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command. Throughout his career, he has become versed in many areas, including policy development, agency administration, labor matters, staffing studies, selection and promotion processes, facility planning, and, of course, law enforcement accreditation.

Leon has served in the United States Army and in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Leon continues his life of service through his policing career and is honored to be seen by peers and professionals as a trusted resource and advisor for all things police administration- and police accreditation-related. 

Chris Fishel is a 29-year veteran of law enforcement having retired from the State College Borough Police Department as a Captain in 2020. Chris has served as a patrol officer, patrol corporal, platoon sergeant, platoon commander, and division commander. He served as his department’s accreditation manager for 11 years and as an assessor and team leader for the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission since 2008. Chris co-founded, served with, and commanded the Centre County Tactical Response Team for 26 years. 

Chris is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps serving as an infantry squad leader and section leader during the Persian Gulf War. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the Administration of Justice from Pennsylvania State University and is a graduate of the 261st session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Chris is a past committee chairperson for the South-Central Mountains Regional Task Force and former regional director for the Pennsylvania Tactical Officers Association.

Chris has served on committees for the National Institute of Justice and the National Tactical Officers Association developing national swat standards. He is an instructor in tactics and firearms for the Pennsylvania Deputy Sheriff’s Academy and is a tactics and special weapons instructor for the National Tactical Officers Association. 

  Lisa Gehr is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement.  In 2022, Lisa retired from the East Lampeter Township Police Department, Lancaster County after 25 years of service.  

Her career in law enforcement began as a deputy with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department.  Three years later she was hired by the East Lampeter Township Police Department as a patrol officer.  Throughout her career, Lisa worked in various roles at the East Lampeter Police Department including patrol officer, detective, administrative officer, and as the department’s Accreditation Manager for the final nine (9) years of her service.  The East Lampeter Township Police Department achieved its first Premier Status with the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) while Lisa served as the department’s Accreditation Manager.  Additionally, Lisa served as a crisis negotiator with the Lancaster County Special Emergency Response Team for six (6) years.  She has been a PLEAC assessor for eight (8) years and is an active member of the Pennsylvania Police Officers Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) where she serves as a mock assessor.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Shippensburg University and is currently employed at the New Holland Police Department in Lancaster County where she has multiple roles, one of which is serving as the department’s Accreditation Manager. 

Jared Hahn has worked with the Lititz Borough Police Department since 2003. In 2014, he was promoted to sergeant, where he supervises a platoon of patrol officers. In addition to his supervision responsibilities, Jared also authors agency policies, procedures, and strategic planning. Jared is also credentialed as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Instructor through the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). 

Jared has served as the Lititz Borough Police Department's accreditation manager since 2012. Jared’s agency has been Accredited by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since February 2004. In 2023, the Lititz Borough Police Department achieved Premier Accredited status, the first Borough police agency in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to achieve Premier Status.

Since 2021, Jared has served as an assessor and team leader for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, and as a mock assessor and mock assessor team leader for the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC).

Jared graduated from the Temple University Police Academy in 2003. Jared is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command, studying leadership, human resources, employee relations, organizational behavior, applied statistics, planning and policy development, and budgeting and resource allocation. Jared is also a graduate of the FBINAA Leadership Certification Program, the Pennsylvania State Police Leadership Development Program (LDP), the Police Executive Development (POLEX) program, Police Supervisory In-Service Training (POSIT), and Leadership and Command programs from the Penn State University Justice and Safety Institute. 

Jared holds an undergraduate degree in Human Services from Elizabethtown College and an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from Wilmington University. Jared is currently enrolled at Wilmington University where he is studying to complete a master's degree in the Administration of Justice with a concentration in Leadership and Administration

  Jason Hendershot is the Chief of Police/ Director of Public Safety & Emergency Management with the Clarion University Police Department. Jason was hired as the Chief at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2015. Before working for Clarion University, he worked for the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Police Department for 16 years. During his time with CMU, he served as the Accreditation Manager for 6 years until his departure in late 2014. 

Jason’s current agency has been accredited since June 2017, which was a priority for him upon his arrival at Clarion University. The exposure to accreditation while at CMU reinforced the importance of the accreditation process as a Chief of Police. The road to accreditation was familiar to him and within 2 ½ years of walking in the door, the agency had revised policies, a new facility, and standards to follow, and had completed their initial accreditation assessment. 

Jason has been very involved in the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Accreditation Program since 2012. Jason has assisted many agencies with compliance with PLEAC Standards and mentoring new Accreditation Managers/ Assessors. Jason is also an ACT 180 Instructor for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) Criminal Justice Training Center and served as the program coordinator for the IUP ACT 120 program at CMU from 2010 to 2014. 

Jason received his Master of Science degree in professional administration from Duquesne University in 2016. He is also a 2019 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff & Command. Jason completed his undergraduate work at West Virginia University.

 Matthew Kuhnert has been employed as a police officer for the Lower Providence Township Police Department in Montgomery County Pennsylvania since 2003. Matthew currently holds the rank of sergeant and is assigned to the patrol division. He previously served as a canine handler, detective, traffic safety supervisor, and accreditation manager. 

Matthew assisted with leading the Lower Providence Township Police Department through three successful re-accreditation assessments. 

In addition, Matthew has served as a Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition mock assessor.

Matthew has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Temple University and a Master of Science in Public Safety Management with a concentration in Law Enforcement Administration from Saint Joseph’s University. Matthew is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command class #509.

Brian Omlor currently serves as the Detective Sergeant for the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, since being hired in 1996, Brian has served in a multitude of roles, including patrol officer, community policing officer, detective, and detective sergeant. In addition, since 2014 Brian has served as his department’s accreditation manager. 

Brian has participated as an assessor for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and as a mock assessor with the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition since 2016.

Brian has attended The Pennsylvania State University and is completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He earned his Municipal Police Officer Certification from the Philadelphia Police Academy in 1995.

  Michael Piacentino is employed with the Manheim Township Police Department in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was hired in 2003, promoted to Sergeant in 2012, and advanced into an administrative Sergeant position in 2017. In addition to overseeing and performing the administrative functions of the department, Michael was also named the department's public information officer (PIO) and accreditation manager at the same time. In early 2021, he was promoted to Lieutenant and served as the commander of the Administrative Services Division, in addition to being PIO and the accreditation manager. In 2022, Michael became the Patrol Division commander and continued to serve as the accreditation manager.  After two years in this position, he once again became the Administrative Services Division Commander in early 2024.  He also continues to serve as the accreditation manager.  Michael's police department has been accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since 2007, and most recently obtained its sixth re-accreditation in 2023, under his command as accreditation manager. As a result, his agency has now attained PLEAC Premier status.

Michael joined the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) in 2017 to collaborate with other accreditation managers throughout the Commonwealth. He became a mock assessor that same year, aiding other police departments in their successful journey through the accreditation process. In 2019, he ran for the Treasurer's position on the PPAC Executive Board and was unanimously voted in. In 2020 and 2022, he was nominated to serve in that assignment, where he remains today. He is a 2009 graduate from Millersville University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology. He is also enrolled in a Master of Science in Criminal Justice program at Penn State University.

Michael strongly believes in the accreditation process and the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. He recognizes the benefits of establishing professional standards and objectives for police departments to adhere to increase accountability, transparency, and community support and trust. In late 2020, Michael joined LEAS as he recognized that the founders of this company shared the same vision of accreditation as he does and saw LEAS as being an excellent conduit to further the accreditation program throughout the Commonwealth.

Michael lives in Lancaster County with his wife, two children, a Doberman named Rosie, and a miniature horse named Franklin. In 2019, Michael and Franklin trained and became a registered therapy animal team with KPETS, a local non-profit organization. This volunteer position sends Michael and Franklin into area nursing homes, schools, and other social venues to promote well-being by sharing the power of human/animal interactions.

    Steve Schaeffer is employed with the Exeter Township Police Department in Berks County Pennsylvania. Steve was hired by the police department in 1997, promoted to Sergeant in 2010, and then Lieutenant in 2017. His current duties include overseeing the Patrol Division, which includes supervising the Field Training Program and the Training Unit.

In 2020, when the Exeter Township Police Department contracted with LEAS to assist them with achieving an accredited status through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s (PCPA) Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, Steve volunteered to become the police department’s Accreditation Manager. During the accreditation process, Steve had the opportunity to work with LEAS Team Members Michael Piacentino and the late Thomas Rudzinski. Steve quickly learned how the accreditation program is administered and the requirements to achieve success. The Exeter Township Police Department was accredited by the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) on January 27, 2022. 

Steve is a graduate of Kutztown University completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He earned his Municipal Police Officer Certification from the Montgomery County Police Academy in 1996. Additionally, he is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command Class #450 and is also a Trilogy Graduate of the FBI-Leeda Leadership Institute. Steve is a member of the Berks County Chiefs of Police Association and the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC).