Jon Gale was appointed as Chief of the Norton Shores (MI) Police Department on December 1, 2014. Prior to his appointment, he served at the Norton Shores Police Department for twenty years as a patrol officer, narcotics investigator, traffic investigator, administrative sergeant, patrol sergeant, and patrol lieutenant. He also worked for the North Muskegon and Roosevelt Park Police Department early in his career.

Chief Gale received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice (1990) and Masters of Public Administration degree (2006) from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI. He was inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command, the Northwestern University Executive Management Program, International Chiefs of Police-Leadership in Police Organizations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Police Executive Development program.

Chief Gale served as an adjunct professor for the Grand Rapids Community College Police Academy and Baker College, He currently serves on the Grand Valley State University Police Academy advisory board.

He also serves on the Muskegon (MI) Central Operations for Police Services Board as the Treasurer (aka County Chiefs Association), the W.E.M.E.T. (West Michigan Enforcement Team) operating committee, Vice President of the Western Michigan Chiefs of Police and Treasurer/Secretary of the Michigan Chiefs of Police. Chief Gale has been awarded several local and state awards for his dedication towards safety including; Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety award, Governor’s Traffic Safety award, Health Projects Community Impact award, Muskegon Alcohol Liability Above and Beyond award, and the Chamber of Commerce GEE award.

Chief Gale stays active with youth as a hunter’s safety instructor and helps organize the Sportsmen for Youth program, which annually serves 2500 youth. School safety has always been a passion for Chief Gale as he strives for better security measures in Muskegon County schools. He was a team member who assisted with implementing a countywide lock down policy and has led a team of police, fire and school superintendents assigned to create a countywide school emergency management plan.

He has served as a chair for several Mercy Health Project coalitions including the Alcohol Liability Initiative, Muskegon Area Medical Disposal Program, and is currently the chair of the Ride with Pride program. He was the founder of the award-winning FACE THE BOOK and RIDE with PRIDE programs and actively seeks new ways to prevent the youth from making bad life changing decisions.

Chief Gale is also very active in the area of Mental Health Diversion. He has served on multiple committees in this area including; the Governors Mental Health Diversion

Committee, Muskegon County Jail Diversion, Juvenile Response Team, and advisory committees for the Managing Mental Health and Michigan Crisis Intervention.