In 2024, the Champaign Police Department focused on hiring and officer training, along with continued proactive work to promote public safety in Champaign. Champaign Police hired 20 new personnel in 2024, including three civilians, 15 new hire officers, and two experienced officers. These hires include the largest and most diverse police academy class in the agency’s history, graduating nine officers on August 22. These officers will continue their training in the department’s Field Training Program in 2025. This effort leaves Champaign Police seeking to fill just seven vacancies for sworn personnel and five vacancies for civilian staff.
“As we continue to grow our ranks, the City of Champaign strives to ensure that the Champaign Police Department reflects the community we serve and our officers are given the best training available,” said Police Chief Timothy T. Tyler. “Champaign Police are dedicated to meeting the needs of our residents and ensuring that our teammates uphold our agency’s history of excellence, transparency, and community connection.”
Champaign Police also worked to address unlawfully possessed firearms in 2024, with officers seizing or recovering 193 weapons through proactive activity. Each weapon was processed as evidence and entered into the National Integrated Ballistics Network, or NIBIN, a shared system that helps law enforcement agencies across the nation to analyze ballistic information to determine whether a firearm was used in incidents across multiple jurisdictions.
Additionally, in 2024, the Champaign Police Department:
- Responded to 43,752 calls for service, an increase of 1.71% over 2023.
- Engaged with our community at 263 events, logging 1,244 staff hours supporting community partners and strengthening relationships with residents.
- Received Reaccreditation as a Tier II Law Enforcement Agency. This reflects the highest level of professionalism for an Illinois agency.
- Promoted five employees to a new rank, ensuring leadership and continuity to guide the department’s ranks.
- Grew the skills of staff and specialized units through more than 40,000 hours of training.
- Responded to 88 calls for service related to incidents of gun violence. These incidents are counted anytime police find evidence that a gun was fired.
- Expanded the use of technology to assist officers in investigating serious incidents in Champaign, including the implementation of unmanned aerial systems and public safety cameras.