And I remember sitting in the car, looking out the window and people were just whizzing by. As if that werent enough, she makes me laugh. The former top cop of Aurora, Ill., says that when it comes to shooters, we are tripping over red flags. In 1991 when Ziman joined the APD there were no women in supervisory positions, and even today, there are only three. The police chief Kristen Ziman is in a committed relationship with her partner Chris Johnson. Mine is an intimate list of people I know personally that have added value to my life through leadership. Steve insisted I run and helped me by guiding me through the campaign process and advocating for me. But they are famous, so my crush on them is not unique or exclusive. Shes a consummate intellect, and she feeds my nerdy soul. Remember, corruption is a serious crime. is a passionate and personal analysis of a misunderstood profession from the vantage point of female police chief Kristen Ziman.. Ziman credits her colorful childhood for the temperament that led her to gravitate toward policing, a profession where chaos is all in a day's work. Create a culture that allows everyone to flourish. In the end, her opponents prevailed by keeping her off the ballot, but in my eyes, she is the true champion. In that role, she met the biggest. Moir has become my family, and Im so grateful for her abundance in my life. Ive had a leadership crush on her ever since because she didnt know me and still helped me. ", "The book is a very balanced view of policing," Ziman said. He challenges me with questions, and I walk away from every conversation with Tom feeling more intelligent and fulfilled. DC Davey is a fierce advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in policing, and she will change our profession for the better. Ive had the good fortune to hear his ideas, and I believe this dude is crazy enough to change the world. Share. Kristen Ziman. Kristen Ziman, the chief of Illinois' second-largest police department, Aurora.She became Aurora's first female police chief in 2016. Her 2016 ascension to the top job, making her the first female Chief of Police in Illinois second-largest city. I hope to hear from someone in the know. "Kristen Ziman's Reimagining Blue is a compelling story of one woman's passion for the police profession. Whenever Im with him, I become more inspired by his passion and relentless pursuit of his mission, and my crush on him is hardcore. "She's young, very progressive, innovative, loves education and she's into technology, which is huge. Is Restaurant Row going to be named after Weisner? I ended my career with George Floyd and that caused protests and unrest across the nation. I want you to wake up whats been asleep within you to ignite a spark of excitement for something. "I don't have blind loyalty to police officers, everyone in my department knew that.". Hey 1:13 The chiefs name is Thomas. Kevin Jenkins echoed the former chief's sentiments when he declared he's become so "re-energized" by the new regime "I wish I could be around to be part of it. Chief Casstevens recently retired from the Buffalo Grove Police Department. You've got several people in City government whose wives have been awarded useless consulting contracts and who have taken family hiring over the edge. The second time it happened, this guy in front of us hit a toll booth. It's time for Aurora to move forward with a new police leader who's focus is the public safety of our community, not their ego, power or wealth. And it's why Ziman would not let the incident go. I thought of my own mom. It's a raw and honest portrayal told by a flawed human about a noble profession suffering an identity crisis. So my dad was two people to me, a hero and a raging alcoholic. "Something happened to me in the past 25 years," she says. Fox Valley Magazine 2021. And, of course, that darkest day in February 2019, when a disgruntled employee shot and killed 5 employees at the Henry Pratt Company. Remember they had money stolen from their union fund, The police had money stolen from prisoners. Deputy Chief Jackson agrees. Kristen is a sought speaker on leadership, empowerment, and culture and was featured in the Wall Street Journal for her expertise in risk management to prevent mass shootings. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. And this is why I wanted to be a cop. Were human. But nothing could have prepared her for the . In other words, Ziman fully believed she was heading to Chicago when named one of three finalists. Ziman started with the Aurora Police Department in 1991 as the only female cadet in her class. Its one of the reasons I left the department. Retired Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman is one of nine experts selected by the Justice Department to review the Uvalde school shooting response. Mayor Lightfoot selected David Brown, former police chief of Dallas, someone with actual competence and experience and sources say Kristen Ziman was not even close. Herewith, a few excerpts from that interview. "It only spurs me on.". Hey Now! "She'll make a great leader," says Thomas. Kristen's personal network of family, friends, associates & neighbors include Stephen Ziman, Debbra Ziman, Hans Kjendal-olsen, Megan Staehlin and Lela Ziman. During her time on the force, Aurora became the. Heart-Focused Leadership through Blue Courage. I want to be a part of his team to help him do it. ", At 5-foot-4, you can hardly rely on brute strength to deal with the bad guys, she tells me. Playing identity politics is foolish but the only person in this situation using bias and discrimination has been Kristen Ziman. Just a hunch. Submit Yes the firemen have had the same type of issues. Ed is a remarkable writer and has provided valuable feedback about my book. All Rights Reserved. Aurora Street Gang Member Convicted Of First-Degree Murder, Sunday, March 5 | Chicago Steel vs Madison Capitols/LIVE Justa Coupla Guys Podcast From Rookies Geneva, CPD Officer Killed In Line Of Duty Identified; Police Radio Traffic Leading Up To Shooting Released WARNING: Recording Is Emotionally Intense, Will It Or Wont It? It never occurred to me that I would be worthy of joining the IACP Executive Board (an elected position that requires a full-on campaign) because I didnt see the possibility for myself. We know Kristen has worked on her side scheme while she is supposed to be working for Aurora taxpayers. He is a renowned speaker, author, and entrepreneur and has achieved a level of success that would make a person like me insignificant in comparison. It requires constantly being lived and modeled. NBC 5's Kate Chappell reports. There wasnt any, and it was also commonplace for a Rodney King event, you know, to give somebody a what for is what I call it. At age 36, Ziman continued to make APD history when she was named a commander. If you wish to express your view, contribute, report to our local and global audience, let us know at openlineblog (at) gmail. Kristen Ziman (her ex-husband's name is Steve Ziman) is the worst offender with her Mom, spouse, ex-spouse, business partner (Michael Nila) and buddies but the Grooms (Joe and Kim) are a problem, too.Chris Tunney was promoted to detective so she doesn't have to be at any risk. It takes a special kind of person to be a first responder. Retired Aurora police chief Kristin Ziman opened up about the mass shooting at the Henry Pratt Company and how it changed her outlook on gun control. Seems to me that we have too many highly paid people at the APD that are getting in each other's way. Navarro Gercone was a corrections officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and assistant chief at the sheriffs office under the Sheriff she opted to run against in the race for Sheriff of Cook County (Illinois). I need that connection," she says. Without the support of her partner and their four children, insists Ziman, "I could never do what I'm doing now they inspire me to do more.". The Blue Courage scheme involves former cop Michael Nila. In a world full of queen bees who make it their hobby to sting other women, Syl is refreshing. Beyond the usual corruption, this is a special kind of arrogance and unchecked abuse of her position. Well, it its interesting because I started my career in 1991. ", There is, however, "nothing soft about showing compassion and empathy," she quickly adds. The team Ziman joins will produce something similar to an "after action report" that federal emergency management experts prepared following the Aurora attack. "Even if an officer is putting handcuffs on someone, they can still treat someone with dignity and respect," Ziman said. She slid into my DMs and asked me if I might like to come to Canada to speak at a conference she was organizing. A new show for TV. Required fields are marked *. When cops are committing acts of excessive force, I call it as I see it. She has been serving as a police officer at Aurora, Illinois, for 3-decades now. After 3-years, in 1994, she became a sworn police officer and had been serving in Illinois ever since. The loss of her father just before coming Chief. Leadership was demonstrated through autocracy, so she tried to emulate that style and quickly learned it was ineffective. Is this your moment to acknowledge where you are and commit to breaking the chains of mediocrity? AURORA, Ill. Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman has announced her retirement. Dunham has the river edge park, Vaughn has an athletic center, Santori has the new library. She is active on Instagram with her Insta handle@chief_kziman. But creating a winning company culture is like beating a drum, not blowing a random trumpet on occasion. We were checking boxes, you know, and that makes community policing a word salad, unless you actually do it. And it's realizing that "the brass on your collar does not raise your IQ. And we werent focusing on relationship building. "There is nothing that we can do that can undo the pain borne both by the survivors, families of the victims and the community, and the country," Garland said. So to me, when youre not harming one another, that goes for everyone, its called personal responsibility. "You look at this police department and you see professionalism a culture of integrity" she vows to continue. With over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, Kristen Ziman is here to share the lessons and wisdom she has gained to help you become a next-level leader. The I-Team discussed that with Ziman at the time, including elements that may have also gone wrong in Uvalde, from communication issues to a lack of floor plans available to police for the buildings.