A message from Danville’s new chief of police
DANVILLE – New Police Chief Allan Shields issued his first “Message from the Chief” on the town’s website this week. The message reads:
To Our Community:
I would like to take some time and share a bit about myself, my appreciation for the seven years of dedicated service by Chief Steve Simpkins, and my commitment to continually improving the quality of life in Danville by providing superior police services.
I have been in law enforcement for 18 years and have been assigned to the Town of Danville for a total of six years as both the Investigations Unit Supervisor and the Administrative Lieutenant.
As a sworn member of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, I have worked assignments in Custody and Patrol settings across the entire county. I have served as a member of the Sheriff’s SWAT team, first as a Negotiations Team Leader and then as the Assistant SWAT Commander. I have enjoyed assignments as a patrol officer, a field training officer, an investigator, as well as supervision and management positions across many law enforcement functions. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and recently graduated from the FBI National Academy, Session 268, a 10-week executive leadership program in Quantico, VA.
I have lived in the Town of Danville for over 13 years with my wife Christine and our three boys, Aidan, Ethan and Mitchell. My personal interests include participating in family activities, church, and slowly making my way through triathlons including Iron distance races. It is not unusual to see members of my family running or biking all over Town. I have enjoyed coaching my boys’ teams in youth baseball, football, and basketball. Before starting my career in law enforcement, I served in the United States Air Force as an Airborne Surveillance Technician aboard the E-3 AWACS. I accumulated over 1,000 flight hours serving in various missions around the world.
I would like to thank Chief Steve Simpkins for seven years of dedicated service to the Town of Danville. As a resident, I appreciated the effort Chief Simpkins made to keep our Town safe and to strengthen the relationship between the residents of our Town and the Police Department. Chief Simpkins’ efforts are evident in the fact that for 2016, we enjoyed seeing the lowest property crime rate since incorporation in 1982. Under his leadership, the Police Department made significant efforts to provide community engagement through programs such as Coffee and Cocoa with a Cop, Citizen and Youth Police Academies, and Recess with the Cops. Each program provided a significant avenue for citizens of all ages to provide constructive feedback on how they would like to see police services provided in their community. I intend to continue these efforts and look forward to interacting with you in my new role.
As your Chief, I will continue to put our citizens’ needs at the forefront. I will ensure the Danville Police Department will continue to adapt and meet the changing public safety environment while fostering a small town atmosphere and an outstanding quality of life for the citizens of Danville. I will seek innovative training opportunities to maintain a highly trained staff who will continue to provide professional and courteous law enforcement services that make the lives better for all of us in the Town while treating all with dignity and respect.
I look forward to many years of service as your Chief of Police and welcome anyone to contact me at my office, by phone or by email. Also, feel free to say “hello” and a wave as I run and ride through Town!
Allan Shields, Chief
Danville Police Department
ashields@danville.ca.gov
925-314-3701
You can find the chief’s message under “Police Services” on Danville’s website.
