Woodridge names new police chief

Tom Stefanson has been named the new Woodridge chief of police.

Stefanson succeeds Brian Cunningham, who retired in January.

Stefanson has been with the Woodridge Police Department since 1997 and has held several positions including patrol sergeant and detective sergeant before he became deputy chief of police in 2014.

Stefanson also serves as the deputy coordinator of investigative operations for the Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team. The countywide task force is charged with leading investigations into serious crimes, critical incidents and other law enforcement endeavors.

Before serving at the Woodridge Police Department, Stefanson served in investigations with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office for five years.

The search for the next chief involved a nationwide look and an extensive interview process that included an interview with Mayor Gina Cunningham and the Village Board.

After multiple rounds of interviews, Stefanson was unanimously chosen to lead the police department with overwhelming support from colleagues and staff.

“On behalf of the Village Board and myself, we are extremely excited to announce Tom as our next chief of police,” Cunningham said in a news release. “He has been a dedicated leader in the village for 27 years and is extremely deserving of this promotion.”

Some of Stefanson’s most notable accomplishments with the Woodridge Police Department include:

• Developed the Woodridge Community Roll Call program

• Provided aid through response efforts during the 2021 Father’s Day tornado

• Assisted with Woodridge’s Frontline Toolkit, allowing residents to submit overnight parking requests, vacation watch and other services with ease

• Supported the implementation of the Body-Worn Camera Program that has increased department transparency, improved evidence collection and assisted in the documentation body-cam program

“I always wanted to work at the Woodridge Police Department. I was familiar with the officers, the village and I knew the Woodridge Police Department was a professional organization that did great work all the way back 27 years ago when I first applied,” Stefanson said in the release. “The Woodridge Police Department has been a great place to build a career. It really is a dream come true to be able to finish my career here. I am very fortunate.

“I am also honored to take on the role of chief of police and am committed to building upon the positive path that our department is on. Previous chief Brian Cunningham’s contributions have left us with strong momentum that we plan to carry forward. Our department is dedicated to serving and protecting the community and we look forward to exploring new initiatives that promote engagement and safety. We are also excited to continue to grow our team with more dedicated officers.”

“For me, it is always a proud moment when you can promote from within. Tom’s track speaks for itself and we are all looking forward to supporting him in his new role as chief,” Village Administrator Al Stonitsch said in the release. “Under Tom’s leadership, I am confident that we will continue to build upon the rich tradition of law enforcement excellence at the Woodridge Police Department.”

Stefanson formally was appointed the new chief of police May 16 at the Village Board meeting.