Champaign Police Deputy Chief Geoff Coon has announced his retirement following more than 26 years of service to the City of Champaign. Coon, a 1998 graduate of the University of Illinois, will mark his last day with CPD on Friday, January 10, 2025.
“Geoff Coon is an exceptional officer, reflecting the highest standard of law enforcement and encouraging those around him to rise to the challenge,” said Police Chief Timothy T. Tyler. “He has managed complex units, applied for federal grants, and trained a generation of police officers to excel in their work. For that, we give our thanks.”
Coon was hired as a patrol officer in 1998. Prior to that, he served six years in the Illinois Army National Guard before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Illinois. During his service to the City of Champaign, Coon spent three years on CPD’s Walking Unit, a proactive unit with an emphasis on Problem-Oriented Policing. Coon was selected as a department representative to serve as an inspector with the Illinois State Police Task Force Ten, a multi-jurisdictional unit handling complex narcotics investigations. He served as a Sergeant from 2003 to 2021, serving as a Field Training Sergeant, K9 Unit Supervisor, and spending seven years as the department’s Training Sergeant. In January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to the Investigations Division. He served as Interim Deputy Chief of Operational Support from December 2021 until October 2022, when he was permanently promoted to the position.
From 2014 until 2024, Coon served as the Law Enforcement Coordinator for Crime Stoppers of Champaign County. He became only the 3rd Law Enforcement Coordinator for this program, which was founded in 1986. In this role, he summarized criminal cases and presented the cases to the Board for reward recommendations, participated in regular public speaking engagements, worked with the media to promote the organization, and assisted in the planning and execution of community safety and fundraising events. He was recognized by the Illinois State Crime Stoppers Association as Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Year from 2016-2019, and again in 2021 and 2023. He was selected by Crime Stoppers USA as the National Coordinator of the Year in 2024.
“I am thankful for the support of my team and the opportunities for community collaboration during my 26 years of service with the Champaign Police Department,” said Coon. “I am especially proud of my time working with Crime Stoppers, an organization that does so much to help our officers to solve cases and keep our community safe.”
Throughout his career, Coon has attended more than 2,300 hours of training. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Police School of Staff and Command, Class #541. He is a recipient of four City Employee Awards for teamwork and one for Personal Integrity, nine Department Commendations, and in 2013 he received the Champaign Police Department’s Medal of Valor.