Michael Simo started in law enforcement forty years ago as a police officer, he ended his decadeslong run earlier this month as chief of the Morton Grove Police Department after being top cop there for 10 years.
“I got into law enforcement for the adventure,” Simo told the packed audience that gathered in the council chamber at the municipal center Nov. 26 for the Village Board meeting.
He said over the years, he’s experienced adventure and more.
Bidding farewell to Simo as he retired was part of the night’s agenda.
Simo stepped in as Morton Grove top cop starting May 2014. His last day was Dec. 1.
“What an honor” he said, thanking supporters who attended the farewell event, including village staff, fellow police personnel, his wife, three adult daughters, his adult son, grandchildren and more.
He thanked Village President Dan DiMaria and many others for the “trust” village leaders placed in him. Simo said he was also appreciative of what he described as an enviable working relationship with so many village leaders and lay workers over the years.
“I think a lot of police chiefs would be jealous of [the cohesive work relationship] if they knew really how good it was,” Simo said. “You guys trusted me and I really appreciated it.”
In his remarks, DiMaria spoke of how Simo had elevated the police department’s profile. He mentioned how the retiring chief had led the department to be accredited as a Tier II law enforcement agency by the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program through the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. And a readout of his other achievements took up more than five minutes of meeting time.
The mayor credited Simo with being transparent, fostering good communication and bolstering community trust. It was something DiMaria said was “very, very important.”
State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, whose district includes Morton Grove, attended and offered accolades. He drove home the impact of 40 years of policing.
“Let’s all just take a minute to think about every person that he’s impacted as someone who’s serving in the line of duty,” Villivalam said about Simo. “Let’s all take a moment to think about every resident that he’s had an impact on, and you slowly but quickly actually get to tens of thousands of people that you’ve touched over those 44 years.
“Your legacy and your influence might live in on for decades and decades to come,” he said.
