Mar. 31—Darry Stacy, a longtime Cleveland County commissioner and former Norman police officer, was selected Tuesday to become the next director of the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET).

The council, following a unanimous vote by 11 members, issued a conditional offer of employment to Stacy to become its next director, Preston Draper, CLEET's general counsel, told The Transcript.

"I believe they have asked OSBI to do a background check," said Draper, who has served as interim director for seven months.

The council's mission is to enhance public safety by providing education and training that promotes professionalism and enhances competency within the ranks of Oklahoma law enforcement; manage and regulate the licensing and training of private security.

Stacy, 55, has served on the board of county commissioners for 10 years and was a police officer in Norman for nearly two decades. He was the Norman Police Department's defensive tactics commander from 1990 to 2012.

"I am honored at the opportunity to serve the citizens and Law Enforcement community of Oklahoma and look forward to working with the exceptional staff at CLEET," Stacy told The American.

Broken Arrow Police Chief Brandon Berryhill, chairman of the council, could not immediately be reached Tuesday for comment. Attempts to reach Canadian County Sheriff Chris West, the council's vice chairman, were unsuccessful.

Former Midwest City police Chief Brandon Clabes served 16 months as CLEET director before leaving in September to become the director of the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE).

Clabes, who has known Stacy for several years, called him the right man for the position.

"I think he's a man of great faith and ethical behavior and will provide great vision and leadership to guide CLEET to great heights in the future," he told The American.

Stacy is up for re-election in 2024. It was not clear Tuesday when he plans to step down from the board. Gov. Kevin Stitt could decide to appoint a replacement or call for a special election.

Board Chairman Rod Cleveland told The American the state of Oklahoma is "getting a great asset for law enforcement education."

"I'm excited for Commissioner Stacy," Cleveland said. "Law enforcement is a passion for him. He's very learned in not just law enforcement, but all that it encompasses."

Cleveland said Stacy has brought "a lot of forward thinking" to the board of county commissioners.

"He's brought a lot of projects ... and he was very instrumental in getting The Well funded and built, and he's brought the law enforcement aspect, including emergency management and disaster relief.

"Cleveland County's loss is the state of Oklahoma's law enforcement training gain."