Before his tenure as a Criminal and Justice Studies Professor at COD, Theo Darden, Ph.D., worked as a police officer and supervisor in three different agencies in Wisconsin for almost 17 years. He also worked for the Attorney General’s Office in the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an education consultant for police training and curriculum development, training officer and as a special advisor to the Attorney General on school safety. Among his honors, Darden was named Wisconsin Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 1996.
With a storied career in criminal justice, there was always something about teaching that excited Darden. Despite being in his mid-30s with the potential to continue advancing in his career, he decided to pursue his doctorate, which eventually led him to COD.
Because of his dedication and passion, Darden was named the COD College-Wide Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Contact Darden at darden@cod.edu or (630) 942-2989.
Police officers have the ability to change lives just by being human and relating to others.
- Theo Darden, Criminal and Justice Studies Professor
Areas of Expertise
- Policing/Law Enforcement
- Police Training
- Police and Community Relations
- Police and Minority Community Relations
- Criminology
- Crime Statistics
- Violent Crime
- Criminal Investigations
- Corrections
- Safe Schools