The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen has named Dale Lane as the new chief of the Collierville Police Department.
Lane has more than 32 years of experience in public safety, most recently serving as the Chief of Safety and Security for the Memphis Area Transit Authority.
The Mayor and Board of Aldermen appointed Lane at a special called meeting on May 4.
Mayor Stan Joyner shared that the applicants (26 in the beginning) were fully vetted during the series of interviews and Board work sessions.
“When I started looking at the list of candidates, I know this was a difficult decision for you,” Lane noted. “I look forward to working with each one of you and building a relationship with the people of Collierville. I am honored to be able to work alongside the men and women of the Collierville Police Department.”
Lane replaces interim chief Jeff Abeln, who was named to the top position last December when former chief David Tillner announced his resignation.
Lane began his career in law enforcement in 1987 as a patrol officer with the Millington Police Department.
In January 1989, he joined the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office as a patrolman in the Uniform Patrol Division progressing through the ranks to Chief Inspector until his appointment by former Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell as the Director of the Office of Preparedness Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
He oversaw homeland security and emergency management activities for Shelby County, including coordination with the State Homeland Security Office and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
He also served as a public safety and emergency preparedness consultant. As a Sheriff’s Deputy, Lane served on the Interstate Drug Interdiction Team, the K-9 Unit, and the Sheriff’s Street Crime Unit and the Metro Gang Unit.
He was assigned to the Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. Team in 2002 as the team commander. In 2004, he was selected as a member of the Governor’s Law Enforcement Counter-Terrorism Support Element.
He has served as the Homeland Security Division Commander, the Assistant Director of Training, and Uniform Patrol Division Commander.
He also serves as an executive committee member of Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).
Lane is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Memphis Metropolitan Association of Chiefs of Police, and the FBI National Academy Associates.
He has also served on the Criminal Justice Advisory Board for Southwest Tennessee Community College. He has served on the board of the Tennessee Gang Investigator’s Association.
Lane holds a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas, Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Crichton College, and an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice from Southwest Tennessee Community College.
He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
The FBI National Academy is recognized as an international leader in law enforcement management training. He also completed the Secret Service National Threat Assessment and Dignitary Protection Schools in Washington, D.C.
A list of awards he’s collected throughout his career including: the Outstanding Performance award from the Shelby County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Optimist Club Officer of the Year Award, the Southwest Tennessee Community College Alumnus of the Year Award, the Governor’s/InfraGard Meritorious Service Award, the Memphis District Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) First Responder of the Year Award, and the VFW State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
