Steve Johnson serves as Chief of Police for the city of Swansea, Illinois. Previously, Chief Johnson was the Special Operations Coordinator for the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office. With the State’s Attorney’s Office, some of Steve’s responsibilities included participating in grant writing and increasing technology in the grant writing process, coordinating communication between law enforcement and the state’s attorney’s office, and coordinating law enforcement training. 

Steve Johnson also served with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and retired as a captain in 2014. Johnson was assigned as the Commander of the elite Street Crimes Unit, a special force designed to go after career criminals in violent areas of the entire county. He also served as the Chief Investigator overseeing the Criminal Investigation Section, Drug Tactical Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Special Response Team (SWAT), Warrant Section, Evidence Section, DEA Taskforce Agent, Auto theft Taskforce Agent, Courthouse Security, Domestic Violence Unit, Internal Affairs and St. Clair County Investigative Professionals Group (SCIP). 

Chief Johnson was recently invited to the White House and appointed as a Panel Member of the President’s 21st Century Task Force. He’s currently a member of the Multi-Agency Readiness Command Post for the Ferguson Area Police Departments. Steve is also a graduate of the FBI’s prestigious National Academy (224th Session) and graduated from the 200 hour Police Training Board certified course, “Police Executive Role in the 21st Century” on Command Leadership. 

Chief Johnson has been a contract instructor with FLETC and has served as an adjunct instructor for Southwestern Illinois College where he taught subject areas that include Criminology, Criminalistics, Crime Scene Investigations, Cybercrime, and Criminal Investigations. Steve is currently the Lead Instructor for “Interview & Investigation; A Four Module Program” and instructs “How to Predict Violence & Influence Outcomes,” the legendary “Street Survival Seminar,” “Finding the Leader in You” and “The Competitive Edge for Probation & Parole” programs.

Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Workforce Education from Southern Illinois University and earned his Master of Arts Degree in Computer Resources and Information Management Specializing in Personnel Management.

Topic: Finding the Leader in You
True leaders are an essential ingredient of any organizational success formula. Yet the commitment to developing a leadership culture is too often ignored, especially in the bureaucracies found in government entities. Finding the Leader in You focuses exactly on that; learning and developing proven leadership skills and then applying them in order to propel your organization towards Mission success.

The seminar specifically addresses the two main components of any organization: Mission (the reason the organization exists), and People (the only way that Mission can be accomplished). With that understanding we examine how the organizational purpose and the satisfaction of the individuals employed are intertwined and dependent on each other in almost every way.

The course has at its foundation the following:

1. Culture: The lifeblood of the organization
2. Motivation: Scientific and sound proven practices
3. Communication Skills: Essential skills for those in leadership positions

Topic: Advanced Leadership for a "Police Reform" Era
Police work is changing. How do police leaders refocus on the “new era” of policing while remembering the core reason most of us started: To help people? How do we lead, motivate and enhance the profession during this significant change? How can we compel good officers to stay in law enforcement—and recruit new officers who may not have qualified immunity? Those can be daunting questions. This course, designed for all levels of leadership, including “defacto” leaders without rank, will help with answers.

Chief Steve Johnson knows first-hand the complexities today’s command staff struggle with and will share the strategies he has identified that will help you reach those goals in spite of them. From navigating mixed messaging ("police less but reduce crime and increase protection”) to ensuring that your officers are safe and motivated to keeping yourself informed, educated and inspired, Chief Johnson will help you develop a practical leadership plan for professional and personal excellence.