CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Craig A. Stone, currently the chief of police for Ohio State University, has been selected as the executive director of public safety and chief of police for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, effective June 18. The hiring is subject to the approval of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
Stone has served at Ohio State since 2015 and previously was chief of police for Cleveland State University for a year following his 29-year career with the Columbus Division of Police.
His accomplishments at Ohio State included implementation of bike patrols and community police academies to enhance community relations and trust; reduction of response times to high-priority calls for service; reduction of overtime pay by 1.2 percent; and introduction of an employee of the month program.
“Craig Stone’s extensive experience in building community-centered safety and policing programs in a public university environment made him a clear choice as the next chief of police,” said Chancellor Robert J. Jones. “There is no higher priority for us than ensuring that our community is as safe and secure as possible for our students, faculty members, staff and visitors to work, live and learn. I’m excited to have Craig Stone lead that effort for us.”
Stone succeeds Jeff Christensen, who retired Dec. 31 after a 32-year law-enforcement career.
Editor’s note: For additional information, contact Patrick Wade, communications director, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Division of Public Safety, 217-265-0028, pwade@illinois.edu.
