Chief Davis sworn in, becomes ILACP's first Black presidentPrepared remarks on day of inauguration: Humility. Service. Respect. Empathy. April 30, 2021 FLOSSMOOR, Illinois – Chief Mitchell R. Davis III, chief of police of the Hazel Crest Police Department, was installed Friday, April 30, 2021, as president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. The ceremony occurred at Homewood-Flossmoor High School with family members and other chiefs from the south suburbs as special guests. Attendance was limited due to the pandemic. Davis is the association’s 73rd president in its 80-year history, and he succeeds Chief James R. Black of Crystal Lake. Davis will serve a term of one year after being elected by association members and serving the previous three years as a vice president. Conducting the oath of office was Davis’s cousin, Judge Toya Harvey. Also sworn in were the eight other members of the ILACP Board of Officers, the association’s governing board. They oversee a 1,200-member organization that advocates for law enforcement and provides professional development to chiefs and police departments’ command staff. “This historic presidency as the first person of color is both a blessing and an assignment that I don’t take lightly,” Davis said, referring to the fact that he is the association’s first Black president. “My election speaks volumes about the inclusivity of our organization. For our membership to entrust me as their leader is humbling. In providing leadership for our statewide membership through the perspective of my lens, I pray to continue to promote equitably support and resources to all departments and the communities that we proudly serve.” Davis started his law enforcement career in 1991. In 2001, he took his first position as chief of police and has served as chief of police in two other departments before going to Hazel Crest. He was recognized as the 2018 Police Chief of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission, and in 2019 he received his high school’s Jefferson Award for Lifetime Achievement in Public Service. He served as s subject-matter expert for the evaluation of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department after the death of Breonna Taylor. Davis was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve on the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) and was elected by other board members to serve as its current chair. He is on the Executive Board for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and is a member of its Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Committee. He is the Immediate Past President of the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police (SSACOP) and chairman of the Training Committee. Chief Davis was the National Recording Secretary for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) from 2017 to 2020 and is still a member of the National Education and Training Committee. He is also a Past Chapter President and current Executive Board member of the Chicagoland Metropolitan Chapter of NOBLE. He is an Executive Board Member of Illinois Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, which advocates for early childhood education, and he was recently appointed to its National Leadership Council. He serves as the chairman for the Southland Juvenile Justice Council, which seeks to divert juveniles in south suburban Cook County from the criminal justice system. He is a member of the NBC 5 Community Action Board. Chief Davis is currently completing his doctoral dissertation on “The Effect of Police Culture on Their Relationship with the Black Community” for his PhD in Organizational Leadership at Concordia University of Chicago. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Governors State University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, class #182. Chief Davis is married and has four adult children and four grandchildren. He says he is led by his faith in God in all aspects of his life. In his free time, he is an avid boater, and he loves to travel. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Other ILACP officers sworn in April 30 were: |