CHAMPAIGN, Ill (WAND) - On Wednesday, the City of Champaign announced Timothy T. Tyler as the new Champaign police chief.
He will start June 6. Tyler's career includes over 29 years in law enforcement in Illinois and a total of 32 years serving in the U.S. military.
"I'm very humbled to be here today and accept the appointment as the city's next chief of police," Tyler said Wednesday in a press conference.
The city manager, Dorthy Ann Davis, pointed out how his career will help him fulfill this role well.
He started his experience in community policing by serving as a police officer and sergeant with the Markham Police Department in Illinois in 1993. In 1998, he joined the Illinois State Police. in 2020, he was appointed by the governor's office to also serve as director/chief of police for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement.
He has 32 years of experience in the United States Army (active duty, Army Reserve, Army National Guard) and served in numerous combat deployments, including Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. He currently serves as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Tyler said his first plan of action in office will be to help fill the vacancies felt heavily by the department.
"We need to address our staffing issues so that we can get back to fully engaging with our residents, youth, neighborhoods and business community members. I will be present and accessible throughout the city because I need to understand what you need," Tyler said.
According to the city manager, there are now 18 open officer spots in the department.
