Hinsdale Chief of Police Announces Retirement

HINSDALE, IL - Hinsdale Chief of Police Kevin Simpson has announced that he will retire from the department in August. Simpson has been a Hinsdale police officer for 28 years, starting as a patrol officer in 1989 and working his way through the ranks to become chief.

“Being a Hinsdale police officer is the only job I’ve known for 28 years and for that I am extremely fortunate. For me, after nearly three decades proudly serving this community, it’s the right time, both personally and professionally, to move on to the next chapter of my life,” said Simpson in a release. “I am very proud of the work I have done as a law enforcement professional here, but what I treasure most is the lasting friendships I have formed with so many here in Hinsdale during my career. In the end, it’s those relationships that matter most.”

Simpson, 49, was named chief of police in early 2016. According to a release from the village, during his tenure as chief, he made traffic and school safety a priority and worked closely with parents, teachers, administrators and other public safety professionals to develop safety initiatives designed to keep children and families safe.

The village said as an accreditation manager for the department, Simpson led an ambitious effort beginning in 1996 to update and rewrite all of the Hinsdale Police Department’s directives and general orders as part of an effort to raise performance and management standards and earn accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies. CALEA is considered the gold standard of accreditation agencies.

Simpson was promoted to Deputy Chief of Administration in 2003, according to a release. In that role, Simpson was responsible for the overall management of the Department’s administrative functions including overseeing quality-control initiatives.

In 2007, Simpson was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of a department that has 25 sworn police officers and ten civilian employees.

“On behalf of the entire community, I want to thank Chief Simpson for his leadership, professionalism and his commitment to the people of Hinsdale not just as our chief, but as a police officer who has spent his entire career making sure the families, visitors and businesses here in Hinsdale are safe,” said Village President Tom Cauley in a release. “We all know that police officers perform a difficult and often thankless job in the name of keeping us all safe. Chief Simpson did that job admirably and served as a fine example not just for our police officers, but all of Hinsdale’s public servants.”

The village said Chief Simpson’s retirement will become effective August 23. Village Manager Kathleen Gargano will oversee an internal and external search to identify Chief Simpson’s successor.

“It has been a privilege to call Chief Simpson a colleague. He has led the men and women of the Hinsdale Police Department with integrity, honor and distinction. Our community is a safe one due to Chief Simpson’s leadership and the hard work done every day by the officers under his command,” said Gargano in a release. “As we move forward, the next leader of the police department will be someone who can serve our residents first and foremost while also providing our officers the guidance, leadership and resources they need to keep our community safe.”

Photo provided by village of Hinsdale.