MOVING ON UP

BY CHUCK FIELDMAN | PHOTOS BY VICTOR HILITSKI

Police chief uses experience to lead Elmhurst department

Michael McLean has truly worked his way all the way up in the Elmhurst Police Department, from the moment of his first interaction as a teenager to being named Chief in September 2022.

Partially growing up in Villa Park, McLean’s first exposure to the Elmhurst Police Department came right after he graduated high school.

“I was just out of high school and had been interested in law enforcement,” he said. “I had heard about the Elmhurst Police Explorers and decided to get involved.”

The Elmhurst Police Explorers was created in 1982 and is designed to provide opportunities for youth, ages 14-21, to learn and participate in careers in criminal justice and law enforcement.

For McLean, it was while he played Little League Baseball in Florida that his interest in law enforcement was initially sparked. His family had moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, when he was in grade school, and the Little League there was run by the Broward County Sheriff’s Department.

“I was exposed to a lot of deputies,” McLean said, adding that he eventually earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Western Illinois University.

He joined the Elmhurst Police Department in January 2000, after first working as a part-time police officer for the Naperville Park District.

“My focus, when I was first hired in Elmhurst as a patrol officer was to provide really good service to the community,” McLean said. “On probation as a new officer, I was just hoping to make it to the next week.”

McLean has done considerably more than simply make it to the next week as a police officer in Elmhurst. “I’ve had a blessed career to serve in a number of different capacities here,” he said.

During his initial assignment to the Patrol Division in Elmhurst, McLean made his way through many special- ties, including field training officer, traffic unit officer, certified breath analysis operator, bicycle patrol officer, and crime prevention officer.

He was a DARE instructor for seven years and was recognized several times by both the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists and the Illinois Department of Transportation for outstanding DUI enforcement.

In 2004, McLean was assigned to the Community Oriented Policing Program and a year later was appointed to the Investigations Division as a school resource officer at York High School. As a detective, McLean investigated juvenile cases at Elmhurst schools and provided services to youth in the community.

McLean was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2007 and was assigned as a Patrol supervisor. In 2010, he became the Administrative Sergeant, responsible for recruitment and hiring of new officers, coordinating and planning incident management for special events in the city, and supervising community programs, such as DARE,

Peer Jury, and the Traffic Unit.

His Elmhurst resume also includes becoming a certified trainer in active shooter response, a program he presented to government, business, and educational institutions. McLean also educated young drivers as an Alive at 25 program instructor, teaching teens to make sound decisions behind the wheel.

McLean previously was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Administration & Investigations — from 2015 to 2018 — then as deputy chief of operations from 2019, until appointment as Interim Chief of Police in May of 2022 and Chief four months later. He is a certified Chief of Police by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

McLean holds top degrees and certifications within his field. While at the FBI National Academy, he studied executive leadership, organizational management, law enforcement wellness, media relations, and counterterrorism.

Now, he is in charge of a department that has about 100 employees, including 64 full-time and ten part-time officers. He said spending 22 years with the Elmhurst department before being named as Chief allowed him to “hit the ground running.”

“I spent the first month meeting with every employee, establishing vision and goals,” he said. “My management style is that I believe in developing our employees to be the best. I think about the big picture, establish the vision and then get out of the way and let them run with it. I don’t believe in micromanaging.”

McLean, who is married, with a 21-year-old daughter, a 19-year-old son and two dogs, said he’s a big believer in community policing.

“We do a ton of programs throughout the year and have great community support,” he said. “When the police and community come together, we’re a formidable force for good.” ■

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