Chief of Police

Gregory Sheppard

Gregory Sheppard

Acting Chief / Captain of Administration

Captain Gregory Sheppard is a lifelong resident of Orchard Park and was hired by the Orchard Park Police Department in July of 2013.  He was promoted to Lieutenant in June of 2018, and to Captain of Patrol in January 2021. 

Captain Sheppard transitioned to the role of Administrative Captain in July 2022.  Captain Sheppard’s roles in the department consist of Field Training Officer (FTO), Firearms Instructor, Taser Instructor and Emergency Response Team Co-Commander. 

Captain Sheppard’s duties include overseeing the Detective Bureau, School Resource Officers, Public Safety Dispatchers, Quartermaster Program, and managing the patrol car fleet.

Daniel Honer

Daniel Honer

Captain of Patrol

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Captain Daniel Honer was appointed Captain of Patrol in July of 2025. He started his career with Orchard Park in July of 2013, and achieved the rank of Lieutenant in August of 2019.

He has focused his career around teaching defensive tactics, field training new officers, emergency response operations, and bike patrol. Captain Honer oversees the Patrol Division, including the Patrol Lieutenants.

Captain Honer also heads all department training, our field training officer program, traffic concerns and Public Safety Committee liaison, grant writing efforts, and is our body camera administrator.

  • Lieutenant Brian Gehring
  • Lieutenant Ryan Myers
  • Lieutenant Michael Mackey
  • Lieutenant John Starr
  • Lieutenant Christopher Tornabene
  • Lieutenant Andrew Kowalski
There are currently six Patrol Lieutenants dedicated to the Orchard Park Police Department. A Lieutenant is the first-line supervisor of the shift, responsible for planning, organizing, overseeing, and coordinating the daily activities of the patrol division. They review all investigations conducted and reports completed by patrol officers.
 
Lieutenants schedule duty assignments to ensure minimum staffing and appropriate coverage, as well as approve leave requests of their assigned officers.
 
They monitor officers at work to ensure operations are conducted in accordance with departmental policies and ensure officers are properly trained.
 
Patrol Lieutenants will be the first to respond when the public requests a supervisor regarding complaints of service, operations, or policies of the department. They immediately establish communication with anyone who requests extra explanations on matters or wishes to file formal complaints.
 
Lieutenants must have sound knowledge of the department’s policies, procedures, and operations. Knowledge of constitutional rights, principles and practices of search and seizure, and preservation of evidence. Strong knowledge of pertinent Federal, State, and local laws and regulations is essential.
 
In addition to the patrol supervisory role, many Lieutenants have designated units that they oversee, such as bike patrol, the Emergency Response Team, evidence storage, traffic safety and enforcement, firearms, people in crisis or with mental illness, annual in-service training, legal updates, and many more.