Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 25

MEET CRAIG

Craig Steckler brings a distinguished record of public leadership, innovation, and community service. He is running as a Democrat in Assembly District 25, which covers Bay Area communities in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.

As the Police Chief of the City of Fremont for 21 years, Craig earned a reputation as one of the most progressive and innovative leaders in California law enforcement. He implemented successful policies to integrate cutting edge-technology, promote and respect diversity, give the community a strong voice, and help local schools.

As chief, he oversaw more than 280 officers and professional employees as well as managed a $58 million annual budget, while meeting the needs of neighborhoods, elected representatives, and rank and file officers and professional employees.

Craig completed his term as the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in October 2013. The International Association of Chiefs of Police is the world's largest and oldest organization supporting police chiefs, established in 1893. During his time as President he helped to promote best practices among 22,000 members in 100 countries. He previously served as President of the California Police Chiefs Association, working with the State Legislature, Coffee-30.jpglocal governments, and law enforcement leaders across the state to improve public safety.

His extensive community service work has included serving as president of Niles Rotary, as a 20 year board member of the SAVE domestic violence shelter in Fremont, and as a board member for the local Salvation Army branch. Craig also holds a community college teaching credential and has taught a number of community college courses.

Craig is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, the FBI National Academy, the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College and of the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He lives in Fremont with his wife of more than 40 years, Casey. Craig has four children and ten grandchildren. His wife Casey owns the Iron Dog Antiques and Such in the Niles District of Fremont.

REAL RESULTS

Over two decades as an innovative public manger and community leader, Craig has demonstrated the ability to deliver on issues that matter to the people of the 25th Assembly District - from supporting our schools to harnessing technology. While career politicians may talk about solutions, Craig Steckler has a record of achieving real results.

Education
The Fremont Unified School District has more than 9,500 high school students on campus on a given day. As Fremont Police Chief, Craig and his team saw the opportunity to place officers directly on campus and think proactively about the way the department reached out to young people.

As a result, the highly popular School Officer Resource Program was launched. Officers worked with administrators and staff to keep kids safe on campus. The officers were placed on multi-year assignments at one school site, where they attended extracurricular events and became a part of the school community. Officers were also trained to provide counseling for at risk students. These activities helped students and formed bonds between the department and young residents.

Craig also holds a community college teaching credential and has taught courses at the community college level, helping prepare students for the workforce and for success at the university level.

Community Engagement
In Fremont, Craig implemented highly successful efforts to bring in community voices and participation. Community members were engaged through social media channels, volunteer opportunities, and a collaborative working relationship with the official citizen's advisory council. Fremont was one of the first departments in the nation to use NIXLE, a notification service that updates the community members on emergency developments or ongoing trends via smart phones or computers. This program currently has over 10,000 followers.

Under Craig's leadership, the department launched a highly successful volunteer program that now has more than 100 active community volunteers. As an Assembly Member, Craig would continue this approach of actively engaging the community and seeking a bottom-up approach of listening and acting on local ideas and input.

Technology
Under Craig's leadership, the Fremont Police Department was the first in the nation to place laptops in squad cars, a move that received wide attention at the time and was modeled in departments statewide. He was also among the first to bring in digital cameras, smart phones and tablets, and computer modeling programs to keep law enforcement a step ahead.

The 25th Assembly District is a hub for cutting edge technology, and Craig is committed to supporting this innovation and providing education for our kids that prepares them for the modern workforce.

Diversity
The 25th Assembly District is incredibly diverse - a melting pot of languages and cultures. As the Police Chief of Fremont, Craig implemented a 40 hour diversity training program for officers and professional employees, which has been used as a model for cities across the state. The program brought together new officers and members of diverse communities to bridge cultural barriers and promote understanding.

Craig was also instrumental in promoting to leadership positions members of communities traditionally underrepresented in law enforcement, including women, officers of color, and members of the LGBT community.

Constitutional Rights
Over four decades in law enforcement, Craig has promoted respect for constitutional rights. He implemented training programs designed to protect the rights of citizens and prevent abuses. Serving as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Craig has also worked to spread best practices to police departments across the globe, including respect for the rule of law and the rights of the accused.