Eddington named Evanston’s new top cop
01/23/07 Evanston City Manager Julia A. Carroll announces the appointment of Richard Eddington as Evanston’s new Chief of Police. He will begin his career in Evanston on March 26 and lead a department of 222 employees; 162 of them are sworn officers.
He brings to Evanston a broad background and 32 years of experience; 15 of those years as Chief of Police.
Since 2001, Eddington has been Chief of Police in Mt. Prospect, Ill., which has a population of 57,000 people and 107 employees in the police department; 86 of them are sworn officers.
Carroll said Eddington has great credentials and is comfortable in working for a diverse community, coming from Mt. Prospect which has a significant Hispanic population. Carroll was also impressed with his philosophy of community policing.
“He has served at all the ranks and knows field operations,” she added. “That experience will help him manage the department extremely well because he has done it all.”
“My wife and I are excited about becoming members of the Evanston community, and I look forward to working with the professional men and women of the EPD,” Eddington said.
Currently 50 percent of the officers in the Evanston Police Department (EPD) have less than five years of experience.
“It’s a very unique opportunity to work with such a young department,” Eddington said. “There is great potential to craft the delivery of police service for years into the future and really tailor our services to fit the needs of the community,” he added.
The City of Evanston invites the community to a Meet and Greet for the new chief on Sunday, Feb. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave. Attendees will be able to ask Eddington questions about his policing philosophy. Refreshments will be served.
Prior to Mt. Prospect, Eddington became police chief of Roselle, Ill., in 1991 after 17 years with the department.
Eddington is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., and holds a Master of Arts Degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill.
He is affiliated with the North Suburban Chiefs of Police Association; Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, where he became a Certified Police Chief and received the President’s Award in 2000; the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the FBI National Academy Associates.
Eddington’s appointment is the result of a six-month, nationwide search that included several meetings with community members who were able make recommendations on characteristics of the new chief.
The City of Evanston received 62 formal applications for the position of Chief, including interest from 20 states. Nineteen of the applicants were from Illinois.