Retiring Sterling deputy police chief: Witnessing robbery as a child sparked his respect for the badge, career

STERLING – As a young boy, Jeff Mohr witnessed his sister being robbed of the money she’d collected from selling candy bars for a church fundraiser.

That theft led their parents to call the police, ultimately inspired Mohr to become an officer and led him to a law enforcement career of more than 30 years with the Sterling Police Department.

Mohr, now a deputy police chief with the department, will retire next month after a career that has included serving as a patrolman, school resource officer and in positions of leadership. His last day will be Tuesday, June 17.

Mohr’s road to becoming a police officer started when, as a young boy of 5 or 6, he witnessed his sister get robbed at a Rockford park, he said.

“Two guys basically grab her and then throw her on the ground and steal some money that she was collecting for a church-related candy bar fundraiser,” Mohr said. “We ended up going back to the house, and then my mom and dad called the police, and I remember watching the police when they showed up, and how much better I felt that they were there. I felt safer.”

[ Podcast: Jeff Mohr, Sterling deputy police chief, prepares for retirement ]

Although Mohr said the thieves likely were never found, that sense of security and respect for the badge stayed with him throughout his formative years. He considered becoming a mechanic while in high school, but instead joined the military, rediscovering his passion for law enforcement and becoming a military police officer.

After three years in the military, he joined the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., where he served for almost five years before moving to Sterling, starting college and eventually joining the SPD.

Although Mohr has been the department’s deputy chief of support services for the past 10 years, he originally planned to be “just a patrolman.” However, encouragement from supervisors and administration began to change that over time.

“They kind of pushed me in that direction ... to work from a position of direction,” Mohr said.

That encouragement led him to take on more responsibility and make decisions beyond the role of a typical officer.

He admits that without that nudge, he might not have taken on those challenges or grown in confidence. He said he eventually realized he could lead, when “you understand this stuff as good, or sometimes better, than some people.”

One of Mohr’s proudest accomplishments throughout his career was simply “making it through” his early years on the force. He also takes pride in going beyond traditional law enforcement work, such as a past partnership with a neighborhood watch group in the Wallace Park area, which he found extremely fulfilling because it showed him a more positive side of community work, such as organizing picnics and safety events.

Unlike police calls that involve a negative experience, this proactive work let him see how law enforcement could build relationships within the community.

“To me, that was one of the more fulfilling or prouder experiences I had,” Mohr said. “The other part is working with all the great people. As you come up through the ranks, you meet a lot of officers. In your administration, you take different things from each person you meet. ... Every encounter is a learning experience.”

Mohr also worked as a school resource officer at Challand Middle School and Sterling High School toward the end of 2001. He recalled his rather eventful first day on the job.

“I’m in one of the offices downstairs, and I hear some commotion outside the door,” Mohr said. “I walk outside the door, and there’s blood on the floor. I’m like, ‘What just happened here?’ They were escorting kids upstairs because they were in a fight.”

Still, the position became one of the most meaningful parts of his career.

“You’re gonna deal with more than negative things,” Mohr said. “You’re also going to get that side that is more positive and uplifting.”

During that time, Mohr built strong relationships with both staff and students – connections that lasted far beyond his time in the schools. Now, decades later, he sometimes runs into former students who are in their 30s and 40s.

“They’ll tell you their name, and you remember the problems you had with them or the problems they had,” Mohr said. “And then they tell you, ‘Hey, thanks for doing what you did.’”

Mohr said his time as a school resource officer taught him a lot about people, especially that “it’s not always what you see that should be your first impression of how someone’s going to be. ... People can change.”

Mohr also shared a defining moment during his orientation to become a police officer with the SPD.

At the time, Chief Ron Potthoff led the department and delivered an impactful message that stuck with Mohr. Speaking to a room of about 50 hopeful recruits, Potthoff asked, “Who came here to arrest bad guys and write tickets?”

After several hands went up, Mohr recalls Potthoff telling them, “Well, if that’s the reason you’re here, then you may as well go home, because we want to focus on community policing.”

That moment left a lasting impression on Mohr.

“I thought it was a great line,” Mohr said, reflecting on how it set the tone for what the department stood for. It also marked the beginning of what he described as “so much growth” in the department’s relationship with the community.

Although Mohr’s replacement has not been announced, he has some advice for his successor.

“Listen to the people that you’re managing,” Mohr said. “Listen to them first and foremost. They’re going to have the information that you need to move forward in your job, and from there, start focusing on the details of your job.”

Mohr left words of encouragement and perspective to both his fellow officers and the community in his farewell message.

“To my officers, just keep moving forward,” Mohr said. “Things change. Things are always going to change,” he added, emphasizing that in law enforcement, priorities shift constantly.

“What’s important today is not going to be as important tomorrow,” he said.

His message to the community echoed similar sentiments.

“There’s always better days ahead, but there’s always going to be challenges,” Mohr said. “This job is always about change.”

For those aspiring to lead, he offers this advice: “Be patient. If you want to change things ... or you want to be a catalyst for changing things within the department or the community, this is a great position to be in.”