DeKALB - After seven years on the job, Northern Illinois University’s Chief of Police Tom Phillips announced plans to retire in mid-April, and the department will appoint Deputy Chief Darren Mitchell to the role of acting police chief.

According to a Thursday announcement from NIU, Mitchell is a 21-year veteran of the NIU police force.

Phillips arrived at NIU in September 2013 with more than 25 years of policing experience, including 17 years at the University of Illinois-Chicago, a year at the University of Chicago and eight years in the military police.

In the institution’s announcement, NIU credited Phillips’ experience and leadership in enhancing the department’s professionalism and expertise, including working with his leadership team to completely overhaul department policies; introducing new technologies, including computers in squad cars and bodycams for officers; overhauling the campus alert system; and working to enhance the skills of his officers by getting members of his team certified as trainers.

“I have always believed that better-quality police officers do a better job of serving their community, so I placed a premium upon professional development for the entire department,” Phillips said in a statement. “It has proven to be a great investment because as a result I believe we have an outstanding group of men and women on the force, and it has been my privilege to lead them.”

NIU also heralded Phillips’s efforts to partner with the community, including starting a citizens police academy. The department also recently initiated a Citizens Advisory Group. Comprised of students, faculty and staff, the group will engage in conversation with police with the goal of improving safety and policing on campus.

The goal, Phillips said in his statement, has been to create a department that is viewed as a valued and trusted member of the community.

“I always tell my officers to police like they want their families policed,” Phillips said. “Our officers have an excellent reputation for treating people with dignity and respect, and I couldn’t be prouder of them for that.”

The NIU police department is also undergoing the process of being certified by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, a distinction held by only about 5% of police departments in the state that have met stringent standards for training, operations and policy development.

That record of accomplishment will make for big shoes to fill, said NIU Chief of Staff Matt Streb in a statement.

“During his more-than-seven years on campus, Chief Phillips has been an exceptional leader, instilling a culture of professionalism in the department while actively engaging the entire university community in making NIU a safe place to live, learn and work,” Streb said. “We are grateful for his service and passion for supporting students in a transformative time of their lives.”

Incoming Acting Chief Mitchell has been a fixture on NIU campus since arriving 33 years ago as a freshman studying political science, a degree he completed in 1994. That same year, he joined the CHANCE Program as an assistant director. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Adult Continuing Education in 1998, according to NIU.

He changed career paths in January of 2000, joining the NIU Police as a patrol officer. He soon rose to the rank of patrol sergeant and was put in charge of a new community policing model that established Community Safety Centers within each of the residence halls. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2005 and achieved the rank of deputy chief in 2011. During that time, Mitchell has had a hand in the management of every aspect of the department, including patrol, investigations, emergency planning, field training, the Huskie Safe Line and even the K9 unit. He currently manages the day-to-day operations of the Telecommunications Center, Campus Events Unit, security guards and the Residence Halls Access Control Unit. In addition, he plays a key role in the development of departmental general orders and policies, fiscal management, employee hiring and strategic planning.

Mitchell is a graduate of the Advanced Police Management Institute at Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command as well as its executive management and executive decision-making programs.

“Darren Mitchell has a long history of service and leadership to the department, and we are confident that the safety of our university community will be in good hands as we undergo the process of finding an individual to fill this important role on campus,” Streb said.

Mitchell met his wife, Melody, while both were undergraduates on campus. She is currently the assistant dean for Strategic Communications and Diversity Initiatives in the NIU College of Law. The couple live in DeKalb and have raised three children: two sons and a daughter.

NIU officials said the search to replace Phillips permanently will begin this fall when faculty and students are expected to return to campus and can have a voice in selecting the next leader for the department.