Freeport police chief retiring after nearly 30 years on the force

The city of Freeport will soon have a new police chief.

Chief Matthew Summers announced he's retiring, effective April 21. Summers has been with the Freeport Police Department since 1995 and has been the chief since 2019.

Summers has served in a variety of teams and units in the department, including detective bureau, community policing and emergency response team.

Summers was a shift sergeant, administrative lieutenant, operations lieutenant and deputy chief of police before becoming the chief four years ago.

Related: Summers picked to be Freeport police chief

Summers is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy.

“It has truly been an honor to work with both past and present officers of the Freeport Police Department,” Chief Matt Summers said in a news release. “It has equally been an honor to work for and be supported by the citizens of Freeport.”

The police department implemented crime-fighting technology throughout the city during his tenure as chief, including ShotSpotter's gunfire location technology, license plate readers and the city's pilot residential doorbell program.

The city also launched a new app for your smartphone that allows you to provide anonymous tips to the department.

Lt. Chris Shenberger will be appointed as the department’s Interim Chief of Police on April 9, the city announced.

This article originally appeared on Journal Standard: Freeport Police Chief Matthew Summers retiring in April 2023