William J. Fitchet is the new Commissioner of the Springfield Police Dept.. He was awarded the post by unanimous vote of the city's Finance Control Board on March 26, 2008 and sworn into office on April 18, 2008.

Commissioner Fitchet said of the vote, "I am very gratified at the support that I got, not only from inside the department, which means a lot to me, the officers, and superior officers, but from the community," he said. "It was very gratifying for me, and I am very proud to lead the Police Department. They are a great group of people. We have a lot of work to do, and we are going to move ahead with it."

Fitchet was the Department's senior deputy chief and is a 35-year veteran of the SPD.  (information and quote gleaned from the Republican story by Peter Goonan)

Mission Statement
"To provide public safety and to contribute to the quality of life for the citizens of the City of Springfield by protecting, serving and working with the community to develop philosophies which promote equity and establish partnership between citizens and police to enhance law enforcement, aid in the prevention of crime, and preserve the public peace."