Prairie Grove police chief retires after 35-year career in law enforcement

Prairie Grove Police Chief Lawrence Canada retired this month, replaced by Michael Goins, a commander with the Waukegan police department.

While Canada was only chief for just more than a year, his record includes more than 35 years in law enforcement, most of which was in Palatine.

Canada planned on retiring when he stepped down as a commander in the Palatine Police Department in February 2021, but when he heard Prairie Grove was looking for a new chief, he said he “threw his name in the hat.”

At the time, Canada said, he had decided his stay in Prairie Grove would not be determined by a set number of years, but rather when he was able to complete several specific tasks, including updating the policy manual and starting an audit of the evidence room, which Canada said was in shambles when he first got there.

Canada said he was motivated to retire by the death of several family members last year, which he described as both “unexpected” and “terrible,” and some frustration with shifting views on law enforcement within the broader culture.

“Last year was a rough year,” Canada said, “When I was a young police officer, the veteran officers told me, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ It’s time.”

Canada described his successor, Goins, as a “very qualified” and “very smart,” and wished him well.

Goins’ appointment was approved by the Prairie Grove Village Board at its meeting on May 10. He will have an annual salary of $80,000.

While Canada expressed excitement about finally having the time to go golfing, fishing and eventually touring the country in a fifth-wheel camper with his wife, Canada said he’d miss the police and village staff, who described as “absolutely incredible and hardworking people.”

Canada said the Prairie Grove community was very generous and appreciative of the local force, and the residents were easily his favorite thing about the village.

While Canada said a good police chief ends up “wearing many different hats,” he felt the most important things a law enforcement officer could do, whether a chief or patrol officer, was to involve the community and be service minded.

“You have to be able to talk to people,” Canada said. “When somebody calls 911 and has an interaction with you, realize it’s probably the most important thing that will happen to them that day, week, or month, so you need to make that contact a positive one and treat people the way they deserve to be treated. It’s very simple.”

Canada said he would try to do things like hand out pencils or police cups to kids playing in neighborhoods when they drove by or join them in an activity like pick-up basketball for a moment.

Canada also said he took great pride the time he spent as a training officer, which he’d done on and off throughout his career.