Kent Munsterman New Chief of Police at College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - December 19, 2023) - Kent Munsterman brings more than 20 years of experience in the College of DuPage Police Department to his new role as Chief of Police.

Kent Munsterman, College of DuPage Police Chief

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A graduate of COD, Munsterman looks forward to leading a team that provides 24-hour law enforcement at the state's largest community college.

"One of my goals is to optimize our operations and the professionalism of our agency," he said. "This will allow us to leverage our department and find new ways to positively impact student success and the overall campus community."

COD President Dr. Brian Caputo said Munsterman's history with the department and the College will serve him well in his new position.

"Kent is focused on creating a campus environment that is safe and inviting to students, employees and the community," he said. "He is well-respected by his peers for his commitment to excellence."

The College has been a vital part of Munsterman's life from a very early age. He first came to COD when he was enrolled in a Kids on Campus course, offered through the Continuing Education Division, that involved a mystery the students helped to solve.

When he was a sophomore in high school, his mom asked what he wanted to do for a career. Together they visited the College's former satellite center in Lombard, where he looked at various program guides and saw one for Criminal Justice (now Justice Studies).

"I knew I wanted to go to college, and I knew I wanted to do something that would make a positive impact on the world," he said. "After reading the guide, I dedicated myself to learning more about this career before I finished high school."

After enrolling at COD, Munsterman was hired as a student community service officer in the College's Police Department, which set the course for the rest of his career. He earned his Associate in Applied Science in criminal justice, graduating with honors, and then transferred to Western Illinois University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in law enforcement and justice administration with a minor in computer science.

Most recently, he finished a Master of Science in law enforcement and public safety leadership at the University of San Diego. He also completed a rigorous 10-week law enforcement leadership and supervision class through the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University.

He joined the College's Police Department in 2003 as a patrolman, a position he held for nine years before being promoted to investigator. He then became acting sergeant/investigations supervisor and most recently was operations lieutenant. He currently serves as the College's Emergency Management coordinator and as a member of a regional law enforcement mutual aid response team. He also is an instructor for the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College.

"When I first saw that the COD Police Department was hiring, I thought about the opportunities I had there as a student and wanted to come back," he said. "I have since worked in nearly every job for the department, which has given me the opportunity to understand how each position uniquely impacts the College. Now I can use this understanding to help the department maximize its positive impact on our outstanding college community."

Munsterman already has completed a strategic long-range plan for his department, which he looks forward to leading.

"I have the best, most professional and capable team," he said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to optimize our department in a way that positively impacts the most diverse pocket of people in DuPage County-our College community."

Contact: Brian Kleemann
kleeman@cod.edu
(630) 942-2370

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