URBANA, Ill. — All are invited to attend a promotion ceremony on Thursday, June 20, for Lt. Barb Robbins, whose new rank is a reflection of her hard work in keeping our community safe.
Robbins was named UIPD’s newest lieutenant at the beginning of June after an internal search process. Her responsibilities will include accreditation, crime prevention, special events, training and other support services. She succeeds Lt. Joe McCullough, who will move to head of the department’s detective bureau following the July retirement of Lt. Tom Geis.
One of Robbins’ primary responsibilities in the months to come will be overseeing UIPD’s efforts to attain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the highest level of accreditation a police department can achieve.
Robbins has a master’s degree in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been involved in a various facets of the department during her 23-year career, including the better part of the last decade as the UIPD’s representative on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
“Lt. Robbins’ work at the JTTF was largely unseen due to the sensitive nature of nearly every investigation,” said Craig Stone, Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police. “Many of these investigations cannot be spoken of; however, without even knowing it, we sleep a little more soundly at night because she was there. Her dedication and commitment to the safety of our community, our state and our country is evident.”
Robbins won UIPD’s 2019 Director of Public Safety Recognition Award for that work. Robbins also graduated this spring from the 141st Administrative Officers Course at the University of Louisville’s Southern Police Institute, where she was elected class historian by her peers. She earned the department’s prestigious valor award in 2003 for her quick response to a shooting in Urbana which enabled police to apprehend a murder suspect.
Her promotion ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, at the University of Illinois Police Department, 1110 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana. All are welcome to attend.
Members of the news media wishing to attend should RSVP to UIPD Communications Director Patrick Wade by calling 217-265-0028 or emailing pwade@illinois.edu.
