Lombard police chief retiring; deputy to take helm

Roy Newton

To sum up Roy Newtonโ€™s career in policing, consider a few numbers.

Born and raised in Lombard, Newton took the helm of his hometown department in 2017. Since then, heโ€™s attended more than 120 village board meetings. At his last, at least as police chief, officials announced Newton is retiring after almost four decades on the force.

His โ€œ37 years of service include 3,100 hours of sick time that he never took, which meant that he loved coming to work, that heโ€™s leaving a year and a half of sick time on the table,โ€ Village Manager Scott Niehaus said.

When Newton was sworn in as chief, Niehaus described the โ€œNorman Rockwell-esqueโ€ arc of his career from police explorer to leading the same department. At the ripe old age of 6, Newton aspired to become a police officer.

โ€œIโ€™m just absolutely blessed, and I did the career I always wanted to do,โ€ Newton said.

Newton will turn in his badge March 1. Deputy Chief Tom Wirsing will take charge of the department, overseeing 80 employees, of which 62 are sworn officers.

โ€œChange is part of what we do in life. It goes on, and I think the department will be in good hands for many years to come,โ€ Newton said.

Village President Keith Giagnorio called Newton a โ€œtireless advocate for public safety.โ€ Newton also leads the DuPage County Chiefs of Police Association as president.

Wirsing joined the department more than 28 years ago and rose through the ranks, becoming a sergeant and lieutenant before being promoted to deputy chief in 2011.