The LEAS Team

Since 1997, David Bonacquisti has been employed with a municipal police department that is located in Bucks County, and in 2005, he was promoted to his current position of detective. David’s police department became initially accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission in 2008. In 2010, David became the police department’s Accreditation Manager and since that time, the police department has been re-accredited on four occasions. David also serves as a mock assessor and has conducted several mock assessments during his tenure. 

Aside from being a detective, David also serves as the primary Evidence Custodian for the department at which he is employed. Previously Dave has 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 also speaks Spanish and has translated for police departments in both Bucks and Montgomery Counties. David has an Associate’s 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 Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since 2006. Leon has served as Accreditation Manger for both programs since 2005, leading the agency’s process through CALEA Flagship and Meritorious awards, as well as participating in the initial PLEAC accreditation of the department.

Since 2009, Leon has 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 on the PLEAC Commission since 2011, has been a member of the administrative committee, and currently serves on the standards committee. Leon has instructed Assessor Classes and Accreditation Manager classes on behalf of the PLEAC organization.

In 2021, Leon earned a Masters of Science degree in the Administration of Justice degree from Wilmington University. He is also a 2011 graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command. 

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 is currently employed with the Lititz Borough Police Department, where he has worked since 2003. In 2014, Jared was promoted to the rank of sergeant where he supervises a platoon of patrol officers. In addition to his supervision responsibilities, Jared also authors agency polices, 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 Accreditation Manager of the Lititz Borough Police Department 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, currently the only 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 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 Pennsylvania State Police Leadership Development Program (LDP) and has completed the Police Executive Development (POLEX), Police Supervisory In-Service Training (POSIT) and Leadership and Command programs from the Penn State University Justice and Safety Institute. 

Jason Hendershot is currently employed as 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. Prior to 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 Manger for 6 years until his departure in late 2014. 

Jason’s current agency has been accredited since June of 2017, which was a priority for him upon his arrival at Clarion University. The exposure to accreditation while at CMU reinforced with him 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, standards to follow, and had completed their initial accreditation assessment. 

Jason has served as an assessor for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program since 2012 and serves as the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC) Mock Coordinator for the western third of Pennsylvania. Jason was appointed to the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) in 2020, and currently chairs the assessor committee. Jason has been an instructor for the PLEAC Accreditation Manager classes at the annual conference. Jason also serves as 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’s 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.

Brian Omlor is currently employed as the Detective Sergeant of the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, where he has been employed since 1996. Brian has served as a patrol officer, community policing officer, detective, and detective sergeant. Brian has also served as his department’s accreditation manager, for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, since his department’s initial accreditation in 2014. 

Brian has participated as an assessor for the 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's of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He earned his Municipal Police Officer Certification from the Philadelphia Police Academy in 1995.

Michael Piacentino is currently employed with the Manheim Township Police Department in Lancaster County, PA.  He was hired in 2003, promoted to the rank of 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.  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, while 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 in order to collaborate with other accreditation managers throughout the Commonwealth.  He became a mock assessor during 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, he was once again nominated to serve in that assignment.  He is a 2009 graduate from Millersville University, obtaining a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Criminology.  He is also enrolled in a Master's of Science 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 in order 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.

 Jill Sauermelch currently serves as the Accreditation Manager for the Lower Providence Township Police Department, where she has been employed since 2021. In addition to managing their accreditation, Jill is also the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police and responsible for several other administrative duties. The Lower Providence Township Police Department has been accredited through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC) since 2006, and most recently obtained its fifth re-accreditation in 2021; Jill is responsible for ensuring that the police department retains their accredited status in 2024, which is also when the agency is expected to attain Premier status. 

Jill is qualified to be an assessor for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and serves as a mock assessor with the Pennsylvania Police Accreditation Coalition (PPAC). Jill also serves as PPACs Mock Coordinator for the central region of Commonwealth. 

Jill attended Lock Haven University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology. She lives in Montgomery County with her husband and two daughters. In her free time, Jill enjoys cycling, running, traveling, and spending time with her family.