DeKALB – NIU Police Chief Darren Mitchell will retire on Jan. 31 after 25 years with the NIU Department of Police and Public Safety.
Mitchell’s retirement was announced through a university statement.
Mitchell said the connections he made during his career at NIU are what he will cherish.
“Most importantly, it is the connections that I built with the men and women here at the department, our sworn and non-sworn, but also the friendships that I have developed over the years outside the department, on campus, in the community, sitting on different committees and boards, working with my other law enforcement partners in the area,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell graduated from NIU in 1992 with a degree in political science and began working for the Department of Police and Public Safety in January 2000. He became lieutenant in 2005, deputy chief in 2011 and chief of NIU police in 2021.
“I am very, very fortunate. I am a person that has been the first chief to rise through the ranks at the department,” Mitchell said.
Considering difficult moments, Mitchell described challenges that he and the department have faced over the years.
“Most recently, I think the crisis that we’ve been dealing with nationally with the retention and hiring that’s been going on in law enforcement has really challenged me in a number of ways, as well as the department,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said remaining competitive required salary increases and finding creative ways to attract officers.
“Training initiatives, equipment upgrades, things of that nature. All of those things have helped us stay competitive and get over this hump,” Mitchell said.
Deputy Chief of NIU Police Jason John will be the interim chief of police starting Jan. 31. John has been with the department for 21 years.
“I’m excited,” John said. “I’m looking forward to a very good 2025, just looking to kind of continue the momentum, the positive direction that the NIU Police Department is going”
John was mentored by Mitchell over the past three years and said Mitchell emphasized building community relationships.
“He was able to explain to me how important that is,” John said. “Not that I didn’t know, but that is such a crucial part to policing, the relationship with the community.”
Mitchell’s advice for future officers looking to climb the ranks as he did is to focus on community.
“One of the constants that I’ve learned over the course of my 25 years is that it’s always about the people,” Mitchell said. “Invest in your people. Stay connected to your people and do all that you can in order to uplift, give them support and give them all the resources so they can be successful.”
The university plans to start its search for its next chief this summer and interview candidates in the fall.