Naperville Police Chief To Retire

Naperville police Chief Robert Marshall will retire this Friday July 2nd after 44 years with the city of Naperville, including 37 years in the police department. That’s a long time for anybody to be anywhere other than prison. Seven of those years were as assistant city manager / city manager pro tem.

Marshall’s law enforcement career began in 1975 as a Will County Sheriff’s Department deputy for two years, then joined the Naperville Police Department as an officer, progressing to investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, and retiring in 2005 as a captain. After his time in the city manager arena, he rejoined the police department in 2012, where he utilized his ‘city manager’ experience to improve the Naperville police department.

Of the many improvements were the following:

• Began a peer support team to help officers deal with stress .
• Created best practices within the department.
• Elevated relations with the police union.
• Improved training programs especially scenario focused drills, including de-escalating situations.
• Improved communication between city officials and the police department.
• Provided stable guidance and leadership
• Earned the respect of department members

Chief Marshall exhibited strong leadership skills including:

• Maximizing relationships
• Demonstrating accountability
• Driving change
• Communicating effectively
• Demonstrating courage
• Building trust

Some of the descriptive words expressed by others for Chief Marshall include:

• Genuine
• Responsive
• Supportive
• Community focused
• Open minded
• Positive attitude
• Integrity and character

It will take a very special person to follow the success of Chief Marshall. The good news is that the Naperville Police Department is well positioned with talent to make that happen.

Chief Marshall said part of what he would like to be remembered for is that he “went to work every day with a sense of purpose”. He never ‘mailed it in’. It’s not easy being a police officer, in fact it’s very, very difficult, challenging, and yes, dangerous. The entire community owes Chief Marshall, and every police officer a huge “Thank you”.

Did you know:

• The first policing organization was created in Egypt around 3000 BC.
• England’s first police, before 1066 were community based.
• In Colonial America, privately funded “watchmen” policed local communities.
• The median age of a police officer is 40.
• About half of police officers have a two-year college degree.
• The national average wage of a police officer is $68,000.
• Most officers retire at ages ranging from 45 to 73, with the average being age 55, after 27 years of service.
• The deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001 when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on America.
• A recent poll finds that only 18% of Americans favor de-funding the police, while 58% oppose it.