Aurora Police Chief Announces Retirement
Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman announced her retirement on Monday, June 14, in a post on her personal Facebook page. Her last working day will be Friday, August 6. Ziman’s retirement announcement comes less than a week after Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall announced his own retirement, effective Friday, July 2.
Ziman has been part of the Aurora Police Department since 1991, when she started as a police cadet. She was was named its 41st Chief in 2016. “I have had a fantastic career serving [Aurora] and our officers,” Ziman said in her post, “which is why it is bittersweet that I announce my retirement.”
“Peaks And Valleys”
In her post, Ziman said her career was defined by “peaks and valleys.” She said her greatest achievement as chief was building relationships between the Aurora PD and the community. She cited the 2019 Aurora mass shooting which left five people dead as the “worst day of [her] professional life.” She also bemoaned a time when she said a peaceful protest turned violent, resulting in property damage and minor injuries. She said she nevertheless thought such incidents made the police department stronger.
“Those moments were excruciating,” Ziman said, “but they made our police department and our community more resilient because iron sharpens iron.”
New Adventures
Ziman concluded her retirement announcement by saying she was on to “new adventures,” alluding that she is considering new professional opportunities. This is not the first time Ziman has prepared to leave the Aurora PD. In April of 2020, she was a candidate to be Chicago’s new police superintendent, after former Chicago superintendent Eddie Johnson was fired. However, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot passed Ziman over for the job, choosing former Dallas Police Chief David Brown instead.
Now as then, Ziman said she is proud of her work with the Aurora police. She thanked Aurora residents for their support, and says the department will be in capable hands after her departure.
“I have built a very deep bench of talent, and there are many skilled individuals who will step in and take over where I left off,” Ziman said in her post. “I hope that I have knocked down doors for others to walk through.”
Naperville News 17’s Dave Byrnes reports.
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