2025 ILACP Vice Presidential Election

This year the 3rd Vice President and Vice President At Large for Region 2 positions will be up for election. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) is now accepting letters of intent from those interested in serving as 3rd Vice President or Vice President At Large for Region 2. If you have any questions about running for the position, feel free to reach out to Executive Director Kenny Winslow or any of the current board members.

Here is a description of the three regions in ILACP and here is a map of the three regions. 

How to Become a Candidate for Vice President: Send a letter to the Executive Director announcing your intention to run, and for which office. Provide an explanation of why you want to run and a little information about your background. Most of these letters are one page long. Send letters to Kenny Winslow, [email protected]. Also, send a photo of yourself that will be used on this page. 

Deadline to Submit Letter of Intent: The deadline for nominations for the 2025 election is 60 days before the start of the Annual Conference, which is being held April 23-25. That means the deadline is February 22.

Election Procedures

Chief Kirk Brueggeman, O'Fallon Police

Click here to read Chief Brueggeman's letter of intent.

Candidate questionnaire can be found here and below.

Name and title?

Kirk Brueggeman, Director of Public Safety / Chief of Police for the City of O’Fallon

How long have you been in law enforcement?

I began my career as a police officer with the City of O’Fallon in 1999 after graduating from Southern Illinois University.  I have been serving as Chief since November 2021. 

What position are you running for?

3^rd Vice President

How have you benefited from being an ILACP member?

Through legislative meetings, annual conferences, weekly updates, and my involvement at Vice President at Large, I have gained a better understanding of important issues occurring in Illinois, and how those issues impact the officers in my department.  I have been fortunate to build relationships throughout the state with fellow police leaders, whom I connect with to exchange ideas.  The ILACP has made major strides by connecting with many police departments throughout the entire state.  This strong voice of ILACP allows all departments, big or small to be represented in Springfield and beyond. 

If elected, what would be your top 3 priorities?

1.  Staying on top of legislation is our top priority.  We need active and engaged police leaders to interact with and build relationships with our legislators throughout the state.  By fostering these connections, we can work together to create meaningful legislation which benefits our communities.   These same relationships will enable us to stop legislation which makes our communities unsafe. 

2.  I want to work to increase membership and the engagement of our members throughout the state.  It is necessary for our police leaders to be involved in representing their communities and voicing their concerns.  This can only be accomplished by motivating and welcoming leaders from unrepresented departments into our organization.  By engaging and providing our young leaders the opportunity to serve, we can increase our reach and strengthen our standing   throughout the state.  

3. Work with the Board of Officers and Director Winslow to ensure our association remains a strong and influential voice in policing.  We have the responsibility to tell our story and show our great state what professional policing looks like and how it can positively impact our communities. 

All of these priorities will focus on keeping our profession strong and sustainable which will in turn attract a new era of public servants to this distinguished and noble service.  We all became police officers because we cared about our community and wanted to make a difference.  Those values haven’t changed and there are still many people out there that feel the same way.  It is up to us to give them a path to get there. 

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the ILACP?

The biggest challenge is to continue to find ways to work with our local and state legislators to draft laws which are both meaningful and effective.  As professional law enforcement leaders, we must work together and hold ourselves accountable.  We must be diligent in educating our legislators and advocating the needs of our profession.  This can only be accomplished if we have the engagement of our police leaders throughout the state.  It takes all of us working together towards a common goal and ILACP offers that opportunity. 

Things to Know

O’Fallon is a growing community of 32,000 about 15 miles outside of St. Louis.  As Director of Public Safety/ Chief of Police, I lead a Police Department with 50 Sworn Officers, a consolidated Communications Center, A full time EMS division with 21 paramedics, and a Volunteer Fire Department. 

I have been married to my wife, Maura (Teacher) for 25 years and have three children, Max 23, Kira 20, and Reese 17.  I am a St. Louis Cardinals fan; I love to visit National Parks and enjoy hiking all over the state on weekends.  I am a regular platelet donor with the Red Cross, and I also attempt to play the guitar.      

Vice President at Large, Region 2 Candidates

Chief Darren Gault, Moline Police
 

Click here to read Chief Gault's letter of intent.

Candidate questionnaire can be found here and below.

Name and title?

Darren Gault – Chief of Police

How long have you been in law enforcement?

Since 1998

What position are you running for?

Vice President At-Large Region #2

How have you benefited from being an ILACP member?

ILACP has made me a more knowledgeable and seasoned leader. During my time on the Board of Officers, I have been more in tune with legislative affairs and have a more in-depth knowledge base on significant changes such as the SAFE-T Act and CESSA.  Additionally, the network of experts in ILACP is remarkable. I’ve made some very good friends, new connections and expanded my network, which is a key skill for a leader to have and rely upon in challenging times.

If elected, what would be your top 3 priorities?

ILACP has some significant challenges ahead. First, we need to work towards a succession plan for the Legislative Committee Chairman and expand our lobbying abilities. Second, we need to expand and diversify our revenue streams in order to meet our future needs and keep the organization financially sound. Third, we need to increase the engagement of our members. By getting more people involved in committees, networking and educational opportunities offered by ILACP, we become a stronger association and stronger members.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the ILACP?

The association operates a very lean budget. This puts a significant pressure on the staff to meet expectations or expand the association capabilities. We need to find new revenue streams to relieve this pressure, diversify our income avenues, keep membership dues affordable, and increase our lobbying efforts.

Anything else you’d like members to know about you?

It has been an incredible honor to serve as the Vice President At-Large for Region #2 these past three years. I wanted to be a voice for this region and our noble profession. We have great people doing great things in Illinois and we have to tell that story. It has been a privilege to be a part of the board. The At-Large position is only allowed two terms, so I hope to serve a second term and continue the exceptional work on behalf of our membership.