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LOMBARD – A veteran member of the Lombard Police Department, Deputy Chief Pat Rollins has accepted a position as police chief for the Sugar Grove Police Department and will end his service in Lombard at the end of this month.
Rollins has more than 23 years of experience in law enforcement and has spent the past 12 years working as the village's deputy chief.
Last summer, Rollins gained international attention after he helped transport professional golfer Rory McIlroy to the Ryder Cup that was held at Medinah Country Club. McIlroy had mistakenly thought his tee time was an hour later than scheduled and was running late when Rollins picked him up at the Westin Hotel and Conference Center in Lombard.
Thanks to Rollins' quick actions, McIlroy made it to Medinah with only minutes to spare. Later that day, the Northern Ireland native helped the Europeans win the cup.
The unmarked police car that Rollins drove was scheduled for replacement this year, and the village chose to auction it on eBay in an effort to capitalize on the attention it received.
In recent years, Rollins launched the Violent Intruder Program in DuPage, Cook and neighboring counties that works to build awareness for school and community protection, according to a news release from the Village of Sugar Grove. He also has completed training with the FBI National Academy and Northwestern University's Center for Public Safety Executive Management Program.
He received a bachelor's degree in business from the University of New Mexico.
Rollins will begin his new job as police chief July 8 in Sugar Grove, and said he plans to stay in Lombard until the end of the month.
"Having participated in the growth of Lombard, I learned that successful policing takes teamwork between our officers, the Sugar Grove board, residents, neighboring communities and partnerships with other agencies," Rollins said in a news release. "I feel honored to have this opportunity to help the Village Board ensure an impressive future for Sugar Grove."