Retired Lieutenant Colonel Kristal Turner-Childs, Deputy Commissioner of Staff Pennsylvania State Police

Lieutenant Colonel Kristal Turner-Childs (Retired) is a brilliant, bold, and brave leader. She served 25 years as a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper and was the first African American female Deputy Commissioner of Staff of the Pennsylvania State Police. As Lieutenant Colonel, Turner-Childs had direct oversight over the implementation of Body Worn Cameras, Tasers, Mobile Video Recorders, guns, equipment, vehicles, the Pennsylvania Instacheck System (PICS), and budget.

In her distinguished career as a Pennsylvania State Trooper, she was the first African American female to command a troop and the second African American female to obtain the rank of Major.

Kristal Turner-Childs earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Elizabethtown College and a master’s degree from Central Penn College. She is also a graduate of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Central Penn College, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, and CREDC Athena Award, and the NCBW Trailblazer Award. Kristal continues her steadfast dedication to the community and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.