Wheaton police chief retiring Nov. 7

Wheaton's police chief has announced he is retiring later this year, after 19 years at the helm.

Mark Field notified the city Thursday he will be retiring Nov. 7.

He has worked for the city's police department for 24 years. His roles included deputy police chief from 1991 to 1995, acting police chief in December 1995 when then-Police Chief Karl Dobbs retired, and police chief since March 1996.

"Chief Field's leadership will be missed following his retirement, and we are fortunate that he will be leaving a department that is well-qualified and dedicated to providing police services to Wheaton residents," City Manager Don Rose said in a statement. "I wish Chief Field the best of luck as he enters a new phase of his life."

During the late 1970s and 1980s, Field worked for the Kankakee County sheriff's police department, as a corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and head of the department's administrative services division. He also served as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve in the late 1980s.

Field, an Ann Arbor native, has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Olivet Nazarene University and a master's in public administration from Governors State University. He is a 1981 graduate of the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville. He also attended the Northwestern University Traffic Institute's Executive Institute.

Field could not be reached for comment Friday, but city officials said he mentioned plans to do some private consulting work in his retirement.

Rose will be responsible for the appointment of Field's replacement. He plans to take a look at internal candidates first. If one is fitting, he believes an appointment could be made shortly after Field's last day on the job.