In a strategic leadership shift, Salem Police Chief Tyler Rose appointed Sergeant Ian King as the new deputy police chief of the Salem Police Department.
The promotion, announced May 26-27, 2026, places King in the second-in-command role with duties beginning at once. King joined the Salem Police Department in 2019 and earned promotion to sergeant in April 2025 after seven years of prior service in corrections and dispatch at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Department records list King as Officer of the Year in 2020, 2023, and 2026. He holds certification in Basic SWAT Operations and serves as an L.O.C.K.U.P. arrest and control tactics instructor while overseeing the agency’s field training program.
Sergeant King has proven to be dedicated to this profession and to this department. When given difficult circumstances, such as the staffing shortages last year, he never failed to continue working hard and to encourage others to, as well. That is the type of leadership that I hope will continue to serve the department well. I look forward to working together.
Chief Tyler Rose made the statement in connection with the appointment, citing King’s reliability during periods of reduced staffing.
King described the advancement as unexpected yet welcomed. “I’ve worked extremely hard. I didn’t think it would come this soon, but I got that opportunity to put in for it and wanted to take that opportunity,” he said. “It will take me a while to get the hang of it, but I’m pretty confident I can do the job. Tyler is a good leader to work under, and he’ll be very patient with me learning how to do it.”
The move aligns with standard succession practices in smaller Illinois agencies, where officers with tactical instruction experience and field-training oversight assume deputy-chief responsibilities. Southern Illinois Now and the Morning Sentinel reported the details of the swearing-in and King’s service record.
