Alum's leadership builds positive reputation for law enforcement

Headshot of a smiling man in police chief uniform

By Laura Pohl, Contributing Writer

The Village of Hazel Crest, Illinois, has gained positive notoriety in the past nine years, thanks to Chief of Police Mitchell Davis. His leadership positions in professional organizations and numerous media appearances have built a positive reputation for policing in this Southland suburb of Chicago.

Davis, a Governors State University (GovState) alum, now serves as vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which has 35,000 members. He’s also president of the South Suburban Chiefs of Police and he was the first person of color to be elected to lead the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

Working for better communities and equitable policing has been his mission since he entered the law enforcement field in 1991. “It’s important to not only work here, but become a positive member of the community,” Davis said. “And I’ve always tried to become a voice for the voiceless.”

The inspiration came early for Davis who grew up in Harvey, Illinois as the community was seeing more African American families move in. Davis shares that his family’s home was robbed three times. “We were one of the first black families—they didn’t want us in the community,” he said. 

Still, a  career in law enforcement was never part of his plan. After high school, Davis attended Illinois Institute of Technology for computer programming, and was working at Wilson Sporting Goods when it was acquired. After losing his position during downsizing, he sought employment by attending a minority job fair in Chicago. 

Davis met representatives from Park Forest, Illinois who were hiring three individuals for their law enforcement department. When he emerged from a candidate pool that numbered in the hundreds, it changed his life forever. 

As Davis envisioned a future in law enforcement leadership, he realized he’d need to finish the college degree he started at IIT and then obtain a master’s degree. “Many chief positions require a master’s degree,” he said “I didn’t want that to prevent me from getting a job.” 

In 2013, Davis found GovState’s online courses to be the best pathway to complete his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies. “What allowed me to finish was the flexibility to take almost of all my classes online—it’s hard working full time in a career like enforcement and then have to go to class.” 

His admiration for GovState has grown of the years, and he’s referred to the University as a “jewel in our community.” And GovState professors have tapped into his knowledge of gangs and issues with youth and welcomed him to campus as a guest lecturer. “Before I finished my degree, I was lecturing to education students on how to deal with problem students and parents,” he said. 

Among his career accomplishments is his work to turn around the police department in Robbins, Illinois, after it was taken over by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. He was later contacted by the Mayor of Hazel Crest about the chief position. Davis emerged as the top candidate after a national search. 

During the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Davis became a popular media spokesperson. As part of his leadership in the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), he was called upon to talk about his views on equitable policing and justice. 

“Within a couple of years, I’d conducted no less than 100 interviews with television stations, magazines and newspapers,” Davis said. “NOBLE would refer me for interviews. That’s been my world for the past several years.”

Becoming a media spokesperson and conference presenter inspired Davis to pursue a doctorate at Concordia University in organizational leadership. “I love presenting—I get called frequently,” he said. “I hope to finish my dissertation in spring 2025.”

Davis is especially proud of the young people he’s mentored over the years and his growing role in law enforcement leadership. Earlier in 2024 he participated in a Public Safety Summit at Harvard University.  

“Hazel Crest has been a blessing to me, I have opportunities that other places wouldn’t allow,” Davis said. “But I do believe they’ve gotten a fair return on their investment.”

While these opportunities are a welcome aspect of his career, his personal priorities are far humbler, as stated in his email signature: “Pray Believe Work Praise.”

“I’m supposed to do my part and He’ll do what I can’t do,” Davis said. “It’s my ministry.”