City Leader Profile: Robert Marshall
Chief, City of Naperville Police Department
“We dramatically changed how we train our police officers after researching training methods and examining data related to police litigation, complaints, injuries, and use of force, among other things.”
Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall has made it a top priority to provide data to the community. He’s especially proud of the launch of an interactive map that allows residents to view public safety incidents in their neighborhoods. He’s also worked on using data and predictive analysis to better deploy police resources. “We dramatically changed how we train our police officers after researching training methods and examining data related to police litigation, complaints, injuries, and use of force, among other things,” Marshall says.
Data review also led to the establishment of a team to respond to an increase in mental health calls with more focused communication, de-escalation, and followup care. Marshall, who entered policing to be of service to others, says that, as Chief, he most enjoys “advocating for and providing police employees with the best resources and best practices so they can provide top quality police services.” Since working with WWC partners to establish an open data policy, Naperville has looked to open its data to engage the public and track progress on other initiatives.
The above profile is an excerpt from “What Works Cities: How Local Governments Are Changing Lives,” a new report showcasing accomplishments from cities participating in the What Works Cities initiative over the past two years. Read more profiles and city success stories here.
