Ex-Elmhurst Police Chief Dies

ELMHURST, IL – Bert Monsen, Elmhurst's police chief from 1981 to 1986, died Sunday, the police department reported.

In a Facebook post, the police department said Monsen remained a pillar in Elmhurst in the nearly four decades since his retirement.

Monsen was raised in Elmhurst and served in the U.S. Marines. In 1958, he returned to town to become an Elmhurst police officer.

During his career, Monsen served as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, deputy chief and finally chief.

Monsen was credited with several community policing programs, including Walk & Talk and Crime Hazard Alert, according to the Facebook post.

"Chief Monsen ushered in psychological training for police officers as they dealt with increasing mental illness calls and was a driving force behind the creation of the Northeast Multi-Regional Training consortium for suburban police agencies," the police department said.

Up until last year, Monsen regularly posted to his Facebook page, weighing in on the issues of the day.

In August, he shared a meme on Facebook, "Just wear a mask... It's not like they're asking us to wear a Packers jersey."

On outdoor dining in downtown Elmhurst, he wrote, "Uptown's tacky orange barricades make one think they're eating on the expressway."

The city's aldermen agree with him on that. They plan to cover them up for the next outdoor dining season.