Former intern returns to Bartlett as newly appointed police chief

Ryan Conway wasn’t planning to be a police officer when he began college.

And when he started his law enforcement career 20 years ago, he never imagined being a police chief.

So, he certainly never envisioned leading the department where he once interned.

But last month, that’s what happened.

“Originally, I was going to be a history teacher. I have a fascination with American history, but my roommate was a law enforcement major, and I needed a couple electives,” Conway said. “One of the electives I took was introduction to law enforcement, and I just absolutely fell in love with the topic, and I saw myself as a law enforcement officer.”

After two decades climbing the administrative law enforcement ranks, Conway was tapped to be Bartlett’s top cop by the village board on June 17.

Board President Dan Gunsteen noted the selection process for the next police chief was not an easy task.

“I wanted to ensure we got it right. We reviewed more than 27 applicants and interviewed eight final candidates,” he said. “After our conversations with Ryan, I felt confident we had found the right leader for the future of our police department.”

Conway’s history with the department wasn’t overlooked either.

Despite being the first to work in law enforcement in his family, Conway knew he had found his calling almost immediately. He said he couldn’t wait to get started and found an opportunity in the department he now leads.

“The deputy chief of police was doing a topic about the internship program in Bartlett,” he recalled. “He was so energetic about it, and I knew I needed to check this out.”

Conway got the internship, and credits his early work in Bartlett for being fundamental to his law enforcement career.

“The internship program in Bartlett really taught me what law enforcement was about,” Conway said. “You had highly productive officers who were very community oriented. They had a love for the profession for the right reasons. That was my first introduction to the Bartlett way, and that spoke to me.”

After his internship experience, Conway was hired for a full-time position in Wheaton. Conway knew he had made the right choice; no two days were the same, and he was able to consistently have an affect on his community, he said.

After several years in Wheaton, Conway went back to school at Lewis University, obtaining a master's degree in criminal and social justice.

When he returned, Conway was promoted to sergeant and began working with schools and collaborating with mental health advocates, as well.

He then attended the FBI Academy in March 2024.

“It was during that process that I really began to realize, I can take a chance at being chief of police,” said Conway. “I thought I had the opportunity to advance my career and bring a certain type of professionalism to other agencies, and Bartlett was always going to be my first choice. I probably was the first applicant.”

Conway passed rounds of rigorous interviews to get the job.

Gunsteen cited his dedication to community focused policing and bettering the department through training and education.

Conway was sworn in last week and said he is looking forward to his future in Bartlett.

“You don’t miss out on a chance like Bartlett, the administration and the community are completely supportive and collaborative,” he said. “Being able to affect positive change on the entire community is really what I’m looking forward to most.”