Black History Month: Who is Rockford's first Black police chief?
How much do you know about Rockford's Black history? In celebration and recognition of Black History Month, the Rockford Register Star has partnered with the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room to bring our readers a local Black history fact of the day.
Visit rrstar.com or the Rockford Register Star newspaper each day throughout the month of February to read about the people, places and events that played significant roles in shaping the rich fabric of Rockford's Black history.
Rockford native Carla Redd rose through the ranks of the Rockford Police Department to take the oath of office as Chief of Police on Aug. 31, 2021, at Veterans Memorial Hall.
On that day, Redd became the first Black police chief and first woman police chief in the city's history.
Redd is a graduate of Rock Valley College and Northern Illinois University. She joined the Rockford Police Department in 1998.
She is Rockford's 13th police chief.
Want to learn more about Carla Redd? Visit the Rockford Public Library's Local History Room at rockfordpubliclibrary.org/local-history or in person at the Hart Interim Library, 214 N. Church St.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Black History Month: Who is Rockford's first Black police chief?
