A 37-year law enforcement veteran and proud 91制片厂 graduate will lead the
ranks of the college鈥檚 police department.
John Lawson was officially sworn in as police chief of the 91制片厂 Police Department on January 11 during a small, socially distanced ceremony with family and close colleagues from throughout his career. Lawson鈥檚 oldest son, Robert, pinned the police badge on his father.
鈥淥n my watch, we are going to keep our high level of service and try to find ways to improve on it whenever we can,鈥� said Lawson, who added that his team will uphold the core values of the college and the values of the police department. 鈥淟et it be known: I am a strong proponent of integrity and accountability.鈥�
For the past five years, Lawson served as sergeant of police and accreditation manager at the College of Lake County. During his tenure he also held part-time positions as administration police officer for the village of East Dundee and police officer and accreditation manager for the village of Bannockburn. Previously, Lawson spent nearly 30 years with the village of Roselle鈥檚 police department, becoming sergeant of police and shift watch commander.
Lawson earned an associate degree from 91制片厂 and his bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees
from Lewis University in Romeoville 鈥� all in criminal and social justice. He is also
a graduate of Northwestern University鈥檚 School of Police Staff and Command. The Illinois
State Crime Commission named him Illinois Police Officer of the Year in 1997.
鈥淭hese are certainly challenging times in which we live, but I strongly believe in our core values as an institution,鈥� said Dr. Avis Proctor, president of 91制片厂. 鈥淭hose are respect, integrity, collaboration and excellence. Those values coupled with leadership with conviction and accountability will certainly help us advance our mission here at 91制片厂 in service to our community. I look forward to the leadership our new chief will provide.鈥�
Lawson wasted no time getting to work. In just his second day, Lawson signed an agreement adopting the , which the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois NAACP State Conference designed to bridge the gap of mistrust between police and communities of color. According to their 2018 announcement, the agreement between an NAACP state conference and a statewide law enforcement agency was the first of its kind in our nation鈥檚 history. It identifies the common ground between local law enforcement and communities of color in their commitment to and passion for defending civil rights and keeping communities safe.
Lawson said he looks forward to seeking input from each member of the police department and to working with students, employees and community members to making 91制片厂 a safe and secure place to work and learn.