BLOOMINGTON — After working for the Bloomington Police Department the past 29 years, Police Chief Randy McKinley has accepted a job in St. Charles, Mo.

Starting Jan. 21, McKinley, 54, will start his duties as police chief for the St. Charles Police Department.

McKinley decided to apply for the St. Charles position as well as a similar position in Texas because he wanted to continue his career elsewhere.

“The reason I want to go somewhere else is because I love what I’m doing and because I’ve had such a successful time in Bloomington from the start,” said McKinley. “I gave Bloomington 29 years here. I’m ready to try something different. It’s been a great ride.”

The St. Charles City Council voted 6-3 in favor of hiring McKinley as the city’s police chief, during a closed-session council meeting on December 11. He was chosen over two other finalists, including St. Charles’ interim Police Chief Lawrence Stulce and Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine. More than 45 people applied for the position, which was vacated in April by Dennis Corley. 

St. Charles Director of Administration Michael Spurgeon said McKinley “was very effective in communicating his vision and his philosophical beliefs,” including his focus on community-oriented policing and crime prevention. 

“We are looking forward to getting started,” said Spurgeon.

In Bloomington, McKinley receives a salary of $135,527 and works with a budget of about $15.4 million. In St. Charles, a St. Louis suburb, McKinley will receive a salary of about $126,000 and work with a budget of about $18 million.

“You’ve got to keep in mind that Illinois is a very heavy labor state and Illinois pays well,” said McKinley. “Specifically this part of the state, and we do very well here.”

Bloomington City Manager David Hales said the City of Bloomington will hire an interim police chief, until a permanent police chief is hired. 

The City of Bloomington will start looking for a new police chief either this month or next month, said Hales.

McKinley started working for the Bloomington Police Department in 1984. He was named interim police chief in December 2008 and police chief in March 2009.  

Over the last four years, McKinley has overseen development of the department’s first strategic plan, which called for more emphasis on “problem-oriented policing” — neighborhood-focused efforts that rely on cooperation among city departments and strong relationships with residents.

 “He restored public image with residents and business owners,” said Hales. “He has also restored partnerships with the many unions within the police department. He has been directly involved in many neighborhood specific issues where he has lead the department in making those neighborhoods safer.”

McKinley was raised in Washington. He graduated from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute in 1984 and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 1998. In 2005, he graduated from the FBI National Academy. He received a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of St. Francis in Joliet in 2010.

McKinley and his wife Rene have two grown children and a 1-year-old grandchild.