Decades-old unsolved murder weighs heavily on Bloomington’s new police chief

Posted on October 12, 2021

*Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington. (Photo courtesy HOI ABC)*

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s new police chief revealed more about his background Monday while speaking publicly for the first time to the city council.

Jamal Simington said he understands first-hand the impact of violent crime. Simington said his father was shot to death in 1975 in a killing that remains unsolved.

“That experience has been woven into my fabric,” Chief Simington told the council.

He didn’t reveal other details of the incident that claimed the life of his father, who was a U.S Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Simington said he’s grateful to serve in what he said is “the most noble of professions” and he pledged to serve with “determination, excellence, collaboration,, and engagement.”

Simington’s first day on the job was October 1. Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said he’s seen the new chief meeting “out and about” meeting with community stakeholders.

Simington spent 23 years working for Illinois State Police, rising to the rank of Colonel, and serving as a deputy director.

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