Lew Nelson

Director—Law Enforcement

Mr. Nelson has served as the law enforcement director for Esri since May 1998. His responsibilities include coordinating Esri's law enforcement industry marketing activities; identifying solutions needs; and acting as a liaison between Esri and the many law enforcement, corrections, and criminal justice agencies, associations, and professional societies.

Mr. Nelson has made hundreds of presentations on GIS applications in law enforcement, criminal justice, emergency management, and homeland security to groups and seminars in every state in the United States as well as throughout western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, South America, the Mid-East, the Mediterranean, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, and Canada.

Professional Experience

• From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Nelson served as chief of police and director of Recreation/Housing/Senior Citizens for the 70,000 citizens of Redlands, California. This somewhat unique range of responsibility was the result of a United States Department of Justice COPS MORE grant to expand and improve community policing services to the city. Mr. Nelson introduced the use of geographic information systems into the Redlands Police Department, resulting in applications including crime analysis, community and problem-oriented policing, beat/manpower allocation, crime trend analysis, traffic enforcement and analysis, risk-focused prevention/juvenile recreation, and blight eradication/housing programs. During his tenure as police chief, the Redlands Police Department obtained eight grants, including California Department of Justice and Office of Traffic Safety grants, to utilize GIS in both crime analysis and traffic safety.
• Mr. Nelson has thirty years of law enforcement experience at all ranks including field operations, administrative services, patrol, traffic, detectives (robbery/homicide/burglary/auto theft/narcotics); special weapons and tactics; and training.

Education

• Master of science in management science from California Polytechnic University Pomona
• Master of arts in public administration from University of Southern California
• Bachelor of science in police science and administration from California State University
• Graduate of the FBI National Academy (FBINA), the California POST Command College, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar(LEEDS)
• Executive certificate from California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

Professional Organizations

• Past president—San Bernardino County Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, 1997
• Chairman—San Bernardino County California Identification (CAL-ID) Remote Access Network (RAN) Board, 1994–1998
• Area Representative—California Police Chiefs Association, 1994–1998
• Board Member—Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (IRNET), 1993–1998
• Member—California Police Chiefs Association, 1993–Present
• Member—FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), 1983–Present
• Member—Law Enforcement Executive Development Associates (LEEDA), 1998–Present
• Member—California Command College Associates, 1994–Present
• Member—California Peace Officers Association (CPOA), 1980–Present
• Member—Police Futurists Society, 1992–Present
• Member—San Bernardino County Peace Officers Memorial Committee, 1995–Present
• Member—International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), 1993–Present
• Member—National Sheriff's Association (NSA), 1998–Present