Elmhurst police chief, 44-year suburban police veteran Michael Ruth dies
ELMHURST, Ill. (CBS) -- Elmhurst police Chief Michael Ruth died over the weekend while recovering from a medical procedure, the City of Elmhurst announced Monday.
Ruth died at an area hospital surrounded by family members.
Ruth served 44 years in law enforcement in multiple Chicago suburbs. He began as a dispatcher in Alsip and a patrolman in Hometown before joining the Skokie Police Department in 1981.
He served many roles in Skokie and rose to the rank of commander in Skokie, and went on to serve as police chief in Countryside from 2010 until 2012.
In 2012, Ruth took over as Elmhurst police chief, and he served for the past 10 years building community support and implementing new crime prevention technologies, the city said.
Ruth also taught criminal justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Governors State University. He was a graduate of the 207th Session of the FBI National Academy and had served as president of the West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association.
"Above all, Chief Ruth believed in the nobility of the Elmhurst Police Department's work and the professionalism of its members." Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin said in a news release. "Our City has suffered a tremendous loss, however I am comforted in knowing that Chief was a mentor to many, and that his commitment to the highest level of public safety standards for our community will live on."