20111026 PR - J.R. Kruger appointed Police Chief to begin 11/28/11.Contact: David Niemeyer 1200 Oak Brook Road
Phone: (630) 368-5000 Oak Brook, IL 60523
Fax: (630) 368-5045
Village
of
Oak
Brook
Village of Oak Brook President Appoints James Ft. Kruger Police Chief
Oak Brook, Illinois (October 25, 2011) —President Lalmalani and the Board of Trustees are pleased
to announce the appointment of James R. Kruger as the new Police Chief for the Village of Oak Brook.
He will start in the position on November 28, 2011.
The selection process for a new police chief began in June with over 130 applicants applying from all
over the country. The applicants were initially screened by a Police Chief Steering Committee, chaired
by Trustee Manzo and comprised of two residents, Rick Ascher and Harry Peters, and Trustees Wolin
and Yusuf. Seven exceptional candidates were interviewed by the Village Board, President Lalmalani
then interviewed several finalists ultimately choosing Mr. Kruger as the best candidate for the position.
"I want to thank the Committee and the Board Members for their thorough and exhaustive review of all
the candidates", President Lalmalani stated. "Mr. Kruger will make an excellent addition to the Oak
Brook staff and will serve the community well. He will lead an outstanding police department and
continue to move the department forward. "
Mr. Kruger brings to the Village of Oak Brook overtwenty-seven years of law enforcement experience.
He began his career with the Carpentersville Police Department, working up from Patrol Officer to
Police Commander there. For the last five years, Mr. Kruger has served as Chief of the Roselle Police
Department as well as being Director of Campus Safety and Emergency Management at Judson
University in Elgin since 2009. Prior to that he served as the Village of Winfield's Police Chief. He
holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Leadership as well as a Master of Science in Managerial
Leadership and is active in a number of professional law enforcement organizations.
He and his wife, Karen, have been married for thirt
y-two years and have a son and a daughter and two
grandsons.
About the Village of Oak Brook:
Founded in 1958, the Village of Oak Brook is located 15 miles west of downtown Chicago and is in
proximity to the junction of Interstates 88, 294, and 290. The Village consists mostly of residential
subdivisions, with the exception of the Oakbrook Center shopping mall, other retail and office
properties along 22nd Street and Interstate 88. Oak Brook is the home of many corporate offices,
most notably, the world headquarters of McDonald's Corporation and the service club organization
Lions Clubs International. Oak Brook is also known for being one of the few municipalities in the
Chicago area that do not levy a property tax on residents or businesses.