Rolling Meadows police getting a change at the top

Deputy Chief David Scanlan will be the new police chief of Rolling Meadows when Chief Steven Williams retires in January.

The promotion will be announced in the city's October newsletter by City Manager Sarah Phillips.

Scanlan, a 27-year veteran of the department, is highly qualified and dedicated to the community, she writes.

"Continuity is one thing the department needs right now, as we go through many changes, and Chief Scanlan has been very highly recommended to lead this transition," she adds.

These changes include the transfer of emergency dispatch functions to Northwest Central Dispatch System and the fact an officer is no longer assigned to the Police Neighborhood Resource Center as well as reductions in the department due to budget cuts.

Mayor Kenneth Nelson said Scanlan will do an outstanding job.

Scanlan was raised in Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights and worked with the Arlington Heights Police Department and the Cook County State's Attorney's office before joining Rolling Meadows.

"My heart and soul has always been as a police officer," Scanlan said Friday, adding he has enjoyed all his jobs including patrol and investigations.

It is important to keep the professionalism and commitment to service that Rolling Meadows police have been known for, even with cutbacks, he said.

Officers on the street will have to provide services that were previously done administratively, said Scanlan. For example, they will have to do community policing without having someone specifically designated for such jobs.

Williams came to Rolling Meadows as police chief 11 years ago after serving as Macomb police chief and 26 years in the Lombard Police Department where he was deputy chief of operations.

Highlights of his career in Rolling Meadows include the Community Policing Award the department received in 2002 from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

He also said the Police Neighborhood Resource Center, which has about 21 community partners providing services, has been a model for other departments.