Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall Announces Retirement

NAPERVILLE, IL — Robert Marshall, Naperville’s police chief since 2012, and who spent more than four decades working for the city, has announced he will retire on July 2 in what the law enforcement veteran called a difficult decision.

City officials announced they will meet in the coming weeks to begin to discuss the process of replacing Marshall, who also worked seven year in the city manager’s office. Since taking over as police chief Marshall has overseen a department with 275 employees and has directed the department’s operations in programs. His retirement will come just a month after Marshall announced a huge break in the 1972 murder of 15-year-old Julie Ann Hanson, whom photos of remained on the desks of Naperville police investigators in the years following her slaying, Marshall said last week.

Former Naperville resident Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, was charged with first-degree murder last week in connection with the girl’s death. The crime occurred five years before Marshall began his career with the Naperville Police Department and three years after Marshall began his law enforcement career as a deputy with the Will County Sheriff’s Office.

During his time with the Naperville Police Department, Marshall worked as a police officer, investigator, sergeant and lieutenant before he retired as a captain in 2005. He worked as the assistant city manager until 2012 and also spent a year during that time as Naperville’s Mayor Pro Tem. Marshall then returned to the police department as the chief.

“This has been a difficult decision to leave the department and profession I love,” Marshall said in a news release issued Tuesday by the city. “My hope is that upon my retirement I leave a legacy of integrity, solid work ethic, strong core values, and a genuine care for the people I’ve served with.”

As police chief, Marshall put an emphasis on scenario-based training as well as helping to create de-escalating strategies. He also developed a plan to improve the culture and environment of the police department, to develop fiscally responsible budgets and to improve working relationships with the union, the release said. Marshall is also credited with implementing a peer support system to help officers deal with the stress associated with their job.

“Our community owes a debt of gratitude to Chief Marshall for his 44 years of service to Naperville, from his time patrolling our streets and investigating violent crimes to his years leading the police department,” Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico said in a statement. “Because of his service and leadership, Naperville has a forward-thinking, proactive and effective police department. That is one of the primary reasons our community continues to be recognized as one of the safest cities in America. I wish Chief Marshall the very best in retirement. He has definitely earned it.”

Other city leaders agreed.

“Chief Marshall is a progressive leader whose integrity and dedication to public safety are evident in everything he does,” City Manager Doug Krieger said in the release. “His leadership has strengthened the Naperville Police Department and the city as a whole and has led to incredible collaboration and a safer community.”

In addition to holding degrees from DePaul and Western Illinois, Marshall is a graduate of the senior executive management program for police executives from John F. Kennedy School of Government in Boston and from the FBI National Academy in Virginia.

Marshall has served as a volunteer board member for KidsMatter, 360 Youth Services, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, and North East Multi-Regional Training (NEMRT), the release said. He is also a member of the Collaborative Youth Team and chairman of the Naperville Emergency Telephone System Board.

“I know the police department is well-positioned for continued success,” Marshall said in the release. “I am very confident in the skills and talents of the current leadership team and their abilities to lead our department forward."