As I complete my time as President of this prestigious organization, I would like to begin by saying that it has been one of the greatest privileges I had had during my 30 plus years in policing. I was honored to have been given this opportunity to serve Illinois Law Enforcement and each of you, our membership, as President over the past year. In 2019, when I sought the position of 3rd Vice President, I was extremely humbled to have enjoyed the support of so many of our members. In light of all that was going on in Law Enforcement, I understood that each of you had concerns, experienced challenges and frustrations and had recommendations about a successful path forward.
As soon as I began my work on the Board of Officers, I set out to develop a better understanding of what each of you wanted for Illinois Law Enforcement. To that end, I have travelled throughout the state over this past year and have used technology to connect with as many of you as possible to ensure that your voice, and the voices of your teams, were being heard by the Association. To the best of my ability, I have sought to advocate for all of you and my hope is, that I have accomplished that to your satisfaction. Throughout the past year, I worked to ensure we spoke with one voice, consistent on the values and principles that have made us strong and that have bound us together over the years.
Looking back over the past year, it certainly has been an exceptionally busy and complex time for all of us in law enforcement. While the COVID epidemic seems to be waning, we are still feeling its effects. Recruitment and retention continue to challenge us. To an extent, there exist some in our communities who continue to promote negative perceptions of law enforcement and this certainly has had an impact our officers. In addition, we continue to work through reform legislation that is often antithetical to public safety. As I took the oath of office last year, I was aware of each of these issues, prepared for them and was resolute in my desire to address them.
While we still face some of the same challenges today that we did one year ago, I am proud to say that we have been, and continue to be, united in our commitment to our respective communities, to our officers and to each other. We remain committed to providing the best in public safety and continue to work to ensure we have the tools, support and legislation needed to do the work and recruit and retain exceptional police officers. With the collective strength of the ILACP, found in our membership, we also continue to do all that is needed to ensure our legislative advocacy remains strong and that we are prepared for the layered and complex incidents we are faced with.
What I could not have known was that my community, Highland Park, would be the next in a series of mass shooting casualty events. July 4, 2022 certainly brought heartache and challenges to our community. I have said that it offered a glimpse into the worst of humanity and in the same instant; I had the chance to witness the very best. Highland Park as a whole certainly came together as we began addressing and managing this horrific event. However, it is law enforcement that stood out to me. The mutual aid response was everything that we had hoped for in an incident like this and so, so much more. Illinois Law Enforcement represented all that is right in public safety on that day and the days that followed.
Each and every member of our statewide police community that responded demonstrated true bravery, selflessness, compassion and professionalism. Illinois residents are fortunate to have the police officers and mutual aid systems we do. On behalf of the men and women of the Highland Park Police Department, and the residents of Highland Park, I want to thank and commend all of the law enforcement professionals who responded and who assisted us in our response to the Highland Park shooting.
I would also like to take this time to express my gratitude to the Board of Officers and ILACP Staff. Their support and understanding during my term as President, and especially in the days and weeks that followed July 4th, is truly appreciated. Having had the opportunity to work with them over the years, it is clear that they all work at a high level and are extremely professional in each of their respective roles. However, in light of what I was faced with, each of them stepped up even more to ensure that I was supported and the mission of the ILACP continued forward. I am eternally grateful to each of them.
I would also like to thank Mayor Rotering and the Highland Park City Council, City Manager Ghida Neukirch, the executive leadership team at Highland Park and all of the members of the Highland Park Police Department. I am grateful that you afforded me this opportunity to serve Illinois Law Enforcement, appreciative of the support you provided and am so proud of everyone for the work they have done this past year.
From our elected officials to our newest staff members, everyone in the City of Highland Park made meaningful contributions to our community and to each other, in every and in any way they could. In doing so, you all continue to set the gold standard for public service.
My final thank yous tonight are reserved for my family. Mindy, Mackenzie, Nate and Isabella were certainly along for this journey. They understood my calendar was fuller, time together was harder to come by and they endured the shooting alongside me from the moment it occurred. They have been phenomenal and they made it possible for me to honor my commitments and to do the things I needed to do for Highland Park and for the association.
To my beautiful wife Mindy, I love you and I am all that I am, because of you. Thank you for everything.
Over the past year, it has become even clearer that the culture of Law Enforcement is strong in Illinois. Despite the adversity and the challenges we continue to face. With what I have seen during my term as President and from my time travelling throughout the state, I can say that each of you has my respect and admiration. I am proud of being a part of this special group and I am optimistic about the future. I am also extremely proud of the work that we, as an Association, were able to do over the past year. Moreover, I am heartened and excited about the upcoming changes on the Board of Officers. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
I look forward to transitioning to my role as Past President and I will work to continue to offer some value to the Association and to Illinois Law Enforcement. I have had a unique opportunity in my role as President. Once in a lifetime in fact. Two years ago, I was fortunate to serve as First Vice President to Chief Mitchell Davis who happened to be the first Black president in the 82 years of our association. As I transition from my current role, I now have the opportunity to serve on the board as Immediate President and will have the chance to work alongside Chief Laura King, the association’s first female president in the history of our association. Given their accomplishments, I too have made history….in a roundabout way.
By the virtue of my timing as president, I will almost certainly be included in all of the association’s historical photos as the years go by. Mitch and the guy to his left, Laura and the same guy to her right. It was an honor working with both of you.
I want to wish incoming President, Chief Laura King, and the rest of the Board of Officers all the best as they take us all on to the next chapter. Rest assured the Association is in good hands.
About Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
Since 1941, ILACP has served as the professional development association for Chiefs of Police and other community leaders committed to public safety in Illinois. The statewide organization serves more than 1,300 members working in more than 450 agencies, providing them with innovative services, training, and partnerships. ILACP advocates for legislation and policies that protect and improve police forces and the communities they serve.
