‘Proven leader’: East St. Louis sergeant named new police chief

A 19-year member of the East St. Louis Police Department has been named the city’s new police chief.

Michael Hubbard takes over immediately, according to a statement from the city. He replaces Interim Chief Felix Arnold, a patrolman who replaced former chief Michael Floore.

Hubbard, who has been a patrol sergeant for East St. Louis, has a “strong reputation for community policing and inspiring excellence through ethical leadership,” the city’s statement said.

He is a native of East St. Louis and has been with the department for 19 years.

“My first order of business is to work closely with our new public safety director (Todd Fulton) to assess day-to-day operations and learn as much as I can about my new team and their ideas to improve upon service to the citizens of our community,” Hubbard said.

He also has served as a task force officer with the U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration.

The graduate of Western Illinois University is a certified juvenile police officer and field training officer, and an instructor for the Illinois Firearms and Rifle Division and state police control and arrest tactics division.

For the past eight years, Hubbard also has been an administrative pastor at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis.

“I believe my experiences as an officer and ministry work in the community has prepared me well for my new role, and I look forward to working with our current administration, city leaders and residents for their input, ideas and support in making constructive changes within the East St. Louis police service,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard’s annual salary is set to be $88,411.

He said he values cooperation with city stakeholders, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies.

“Safety and security within our city require partnerships and good will,” Hubbard said. “Openness to different points of view is a prerequisite to the trust and respect that are at the root of such partnerships.”

Fulton said he is excited about the skill set Hubbard brings to the job.

“He will lead by example with fairness, consistency unquestioned integrity and a commitment to serving our residents,” Fulton said.

Hubbard was selected after an internal and external search, City Manager Traycee Chapman said.

“He is a talented, experienced and proven leader who is committed to safety, crime prevention and the success of our city,” Chapman said.

The police department is undergoing an internal organizational review as part of Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks’ transition plan.

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "‘Proven leader’: East St. Louis sergeant named new police chief."