Front row (L-R) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Officers Xac Vo, Kasey Hoyd and Linsey Rice. Back Row (L-R) Officers Anthony Jones, Alphonso Shepherd, Kelly Waters and Chief Kevin Schmoll. (Photo courtesy of SIUE)

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Chief Kevin Schmoll will be honored for his minority hiring practices at the Edwardsville NAACP annual banquet at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 3 in the Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.

Schmoll has implemented the University’s commitment to a diverse work force and an inclusive community by adding four officers of color to the department during the past two years. Schmoll started a mentoring program where he advises African American and other SIUE criminal justice students to guide them through the hiring and testing process to become a law enforcement officer.

“I am honored to be receiving this award and also extremely humbled,” Schmoll said. “We are striving to create a police department that reflects SIUE’s diverse community.”

A Red Bud native, Schmoll joined the SIUE department in 1994. He quickly moved through the ranks from patrolman to a detective for investigations to sergeant.

He was promoted to lieutenant in charge of the SIUE patrol division in January 2005 before being appointed to chief.

Schmoll was named SIUE Chief of Police on Oct. 1, 2013.

Since becoming chief, Schmoll has implemented many new initiatives to help keep SIUE a safe campus:  Rave e-lert messaging system, Rave Guardian App, SIUE Police webpage, SIUE Police Facebook page, Hostile Intruder Training for the University Community and Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois.

The SIUE Police Department is a community-oriented law enforcement agency comprising 43 sworn police officers and eight civilian employees. SIUE police officers are certified law enforcement officers with full investigatory and arrest authority granted by Illinois law.

The SIUE Police Department is open and accessible to the University community 24 hours a day.

— Edwardsville NAACP honors SIUE police chief —