Rock Island’s next police chief on track to have job soon
An era ended last month for the Rock Island Police Department when Chief Richard Landi signed off for the last time.
“It’s been a special honor and privilege for me for these final years to serve as chief of police,” Landi said.
Now Landi’s longtime co-worker Tim McCloud is tapped to take over. City Manager Todd Thompson nominated McCloud to run the department permanently. It’s something McCloud has been pursing for decades.
“It’s still something that I’ve got to take in,” McCloud said. “It doesn’t seem quite real and of course it’s not until I get sworn in. It’s been a goal of mine for several years now and it’s nice to finally see it come to fruition. I’m just looking forward to the opportunities to be in this role.”
McCloud started his law enforcement career with the Rock Island Police Department in 1994. He rose through the ranks of the police department, serving as detective from 2002 to 2006, sergeant from 2006 to 2009, and lieutenant from 2009 until 2021 when he was appointed as deputy chief of police. McCloud has served in a variety of roles, including being the commander of the Juvenile Investigations Unit and commander of the Honor Guard.
Being selected as police chief this quickly helps prove to McCloud that city leaders and police department members have faith in him to lead.
“I’ve spent a long time getting to know the citizens and getting to know the leaders of this city,” McCloud said. “I think they’re comfortable with working with me and I’m excited to continue that partnership moving forward.”
McCloud explains how he’d like to lead the next generation of officers.
“This is a team. This is a partnership amongst all of the leadership here. All the way down to the brand-new rookie on the street,” McCloud said. “I want to hear what everybody has to say, and I want them to feel valued and that they play a part in this.”
McCloud adds that he would strive to strengthen relationships with members of the Rock Island community. He said it’s one of the ways the police department has continuously evolved over the years.
“Our whole community outreach has grown considerably over the last 20 years,” said McCloud. “That’s a good thing because we have such an ongoing relationship with the community and the citizens.”
He says he would build on those relationships by being present every day.
“We’re always going to be here for you. We want you to feel safe. We want you to trust us and that’s going to be a process that we have got to continuously work on,” McCloud added. “I want to be able to reach the community in every way that they need. I will do my best and I think the future is really bright for us.”
McCloud plans to increase community policing if he is sworn in as chief on Monday.
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