After more than 30 years with the Rock Island Police Department, Police Chief Richard Landi has announced his retirement, effective Friday, April 26, according to a news release from the city of Rock Island on Thursday, April 18.
He was appointed chief of police in April 2022 after serving five months as interim chief. Chief Landi began his career with the Rock Island Police Department in December 1993 as a patrol officer in Field Operations. He rose through the ranks of the police department, serving as sergeant from 2003 to 2010, and as lieutenant until 2020 when he was appointed deputy chief of police.
“On behalf of the city, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for Chief Landi and the incredible leadership he has provided to the Rock Island Police Department,” said Mayor Mike Thoms in Thursday’s news release. “His dedication and commitment has led to a decrease in crime, improved community relations and an increase in efficiencies across the department. We congratulate Chief Landi on a job well done and wish him well on his retirement.”
City officials have yet to announce when a new police chief or acting chief will be named.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to have served in one of the finest police organizations in the nation,” Chief Landi said. “Over the past 30 years, I’ve served in many roles within the police department and was fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated and talented people – past and present – many of whom shaped me as a police officer and guided me as a future leader.
Chief Landi attended Black Hawk College for law enforcement and criminal justice and received his certification from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute for Basic Correctional Officer, Basic Law Enforcement Officer and Master Firearms Instructor. He earned various certifications in areas of police operations, management and administration throughout his career.
Prior to joining the City of Rock Island, Chief Landi began his law enforcement career in 1990 as an auxiliary police officer for the Village of Milan. He then joined the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department as a correctional officer, where he later became the jail administrator.
During his nearly 31-year tenure at the Rock Island Police Department, he has served in a variety of roles, including: field training officer, firearms and Use of Force instructor, assistant watch commander and watch commander for the Field Operations Division, deputy commander of the Technical Services Division, deputy commander of the police department’s Emergency Response Team, deputy commander of the ILEAS Region 2 WMD Special Response Team and agent in the Office of Professional Standards. Additionally, Chief Landi has earned numerous service awards during his career to include letters of recognition, certificates of appreciation, commendations and Life Saving awards.
In addition to overseeing the daily operations of the police department, Chief Landi supervised the department’s recruitment efforts, reorganized staff and implemented new technologies to improve the department’s efficiency and effectiveness in delivering police services to the community. This includes transitioning to the new P-25 radio network for police, fire and emergency services in Rock Island and Scott Counties; implementation of a new records management and 911 dispatch system; a new Automated License Plate Recognition System (ALPR); and the continuing expansion of the city’s camera network.
Under his leadership, the police department enacted numerous operational policy and procedural changes to meet the mandates of Illinois’ Safe-T-Act; partnered with Family Resources to embed a crime victim specialist into the department for victim support and assistance; completed the police department’s third re-accreditation under the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP) for Tier 2 status; joined with the six other Illinois Quad Cities law enforcement agencies to adopt the Ten Shared Principles in partnership with the Rock Island County NAACP; and worked with the Rock Island-Milan School District to reintroduce a school resource officer to the high school.
