Chief of Metra Police Department
Chief O’Shea was appointed head of the Metra Police Department in February 2024. He began his law enforcement career in 1989 with the Addison Police Department. He then served with the Elgin Police Department for seventeen years before being selected to be the Chief of Police in Rockford, Illinois.
During his 33 years in law enforcement, Chief O’Shea has served as a patrol officer, an investigator in Traffic, Narcotics, Gangs, and Violent Crimes. He supervised as a sergeant and lieutenant in Operations, Investigations and Administration, served as a bureau commander, and led as a chief. He believes in intelligence-led policing strategies and the utilization of technologies to improve efficiencies.
Chief O’Shea is a graduate from the Senior Management Institute for Police, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development, Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, University of Notre Dame Executive Management, and received his Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University.
He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Executive Research Forum, and the Police Protective and Benevolent Association. He serves on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force board and the Committee for Homeland Security with the IACP.
