Charles County, MD…Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry is proud to announce that Lieutenant Kenneth Klezia, Jr. of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) graduated from Cohort 2023-01 of the DC Police Leadership Academy (DCPLA) hosted by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). “After working together with law enforcement leaders from across the world over the last three months, Lt. Klezia will bring the knowledge, skills, and abilities he learned to our Agency to enhance leadership skills throughout all components of the Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Berry.

Cohort 2023-01 was the inaugural cohort of the DCPLA program. The three-week program, broken into two sessions, was comprised of approximately 70 participants from across the U.S. and included representatives from Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and England. Participants engaged in shaping the future of policing by developing their personal leadership abilities through discourse and interactive activities.

Lieutenant Klezia has 20 years of service with the CCSO.  He has served in several capacities during his tenure: patrol officer, detective in the Criminal Investigations Division, patrol supervisor, detective sergeant, patrol shift commander, and as the commander of the Agency’s School Resource Section. He is currently assigned as assistant commander of the Office of Professional Responsibility. “I am so thankful I was given the opportunity to attend the Inaugural DC Police Leadership Academy to learn the subtleties of modern police leadership with my peers from around the world,” said Lt. Klezia. “The training gave me unique insight into different points of view for policing in today’s world.”

The goal of the DC Police Leadership Academy is to develop a strong cadre of second line supervisors who are adaptable, creative, and motivate others. DCPLA develops leaders who demonstrate high standards of integrity, trust, openness, humility, and respect. The program facilitates a culture of positive police leaders that understand the profession of law enforcement beyond their assigned role- leaders that create and maintain a sense of purpose and innovation in their agencies.

“We are focused on building a global legion of police leaders who strive to continuously transfer excellence at every level of a police force,” said MPD Chief of Police Robert J. Contee, III. “Opportunities for people to step up and rise to the occasion must be bountiful within law enforcement for us to reach our highest levels of operations.”

“The knowledge Lt. Klezia gained will not only assist our employees, but will further enhance how we serve our communities,” Sheriff Berry said. “We are grateful to have been a part of this inaugural training and we look forward to participating in future training.”

 ABOUT DCPLA: The Metropolitan Police Department created DCPLA in 2022 with the intent to provide rising police leaders from around the world with the fundamental tools, ideas, and strategies necessary to lead within their agencies during a critical time for the advancement of law enforcement organizations. This program targets mid-level leaders (i.e., those that manage managers, but are not yet in appointed ranks). Through this program, participants develop a critical growth mindset, and learn essential management approaches to hone their personal and organizational leadership skills.

CONTACT:
Diane Richardson
Media Relations Office
301-609-6557 or 240-682-1658

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.