• Colonel J.W. Price
• Deputy Director

Colonel J.W. Price was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Division of Criminal Investigation in April 2024. Before his appointment, Colonel Price served as the Lieutenant Colonel of the Division of Criminal Investigation Support Command since August 2022. He previously served as a Major in the Office of the Director as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning where he oversaw complex, multi-agency coordination of major incidents, as well as policy review, agency continuity of operations planning, research and development, and the Executive Protection Unit. Colonel Price has been with the Illinois State Police since 2006 when he attended the academy with Cadet Class #112. He has a diverse career in the Illinois State Police (ISP) previously serving in the Division of Patrol as Major over Support Services Command, Commander of District 9 Patrol (Springfield), the Executive Protection Unit Operations Officer and Governor Travel Detail Leader, a full-time Operator on ISP Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), and as a District 8 (Peoria) Patrol Trooper. Colonel Price served many years as a Crisis Negotiator, Firearms Instructor, and Rapid Deployment Instructor for ISP.

Colonel Price previously served in law enforcement as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and a Deputy Sheriff with the McLean County Sheriff’s Office. Colonel Price is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy class #280, Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command Class #414, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Criminal Investigator Training Program, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Training Course, and the University of Illinois Police Training Institute. He also served as a Governor-appointed board member of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board from 2017 to 2025. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration from Western Illinois University, a Master of Public Safety from the University of Virginia, and is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

• Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Garcia
• Assistant Deputy Director

Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Garcia was appointed as Assistant Deputy Director for the Division of Criminal Investigation Statewide Investigative Command in September 2025. Before his appointment, Lieutenant Colonel Garcia held the rank of Major and was assigned as the Chicago Region Investigative Commander, while simultaneously serving in the Chicago area Unified Command. While in these roles, he collaborated with the Division of Patrol and the Division of Forensic Services to combat expressway violence in the Chicago area, while also supervising investigative efforts throughout northern Illinois. Lieutenant Colonel Garcia is a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center and the Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee.

Lieutenant Colonel Garcia began his career with the Illinois State Police (ISP) in 2002, with his appointment to Cadet Class 105. Upon graduating from the ISP Academy, he was assigned to District 15 (Tollway), where he worked patrol and was later selected for the South Special Enforcement Team. He was a Field Training Officer and a member of the regional crowd control team. In December 2005, Lieutenant Colonel Garcia accepted an assignment to the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Zone 1 North Central Narcotics Task Force (NCNTF). During his tenure in Zone 1 NCNTF, he served as a Control and Arrest Tactics Instructor, Basic Investigator Course - Covert Officer Survival Instructor, assisted in the development and instruction of the Basic Narcotics Course, and was promoted to Sergeant in 2011. In 2015, he transferred to the Zone 1 Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LCMEG) as the Deputy Director of the unit and was promoted to Master Sergeant in 2016. Lieutenant Colonel Garcia was promoted to Lieutenant of the Zone 1 Violent Crime Units in 2021 and the Zone 1 Commander in 2022. In April 2023, he was appointed as the Major of the Chicago Command. Lieutenant Colonel Garcia is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration.

• Lieutenant Colonel Scott Ahrens
• Assistant Deputy Director

Lieutenant Colonel Scott Ahrens was appointed as the Assistant Deputy Director for the Division of Criminal Investigation Statewide Support Command in April 2024. Lieutenant Colonel Ahrens chairs the Department’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Review Board and has been appointed as a voting delegate to the Illinois Homeland Security Advisory Council (former ITTF) and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS). He also serves on the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Judicial Security and Safety, assisting the courts in reviewing and improving their security operations and infrastructure.

Lieutenant Colonel Ahrens joined the ISP in 2006, serving in District 6 Patrol. He later became a K-9 Officer and a Sergeant before moving to the Executive Protection Unit in 2016. Lieutenant Colonel Ahrens also served as the Special Projects Master Sergeant in District 9, the Detail Leader in the Executive Protection Unit, and the Operations Lieutenant in District 6. He became the Commander of the Executive Protection Unit in 2018 and was appointed as a Major within the Director’s Office in 2022, where he oversaw the Executive Protection Unit, the Office of Strategic Planning, and the Bureau of Research and Development. Lieutenant Colonel Ahrens has served many years as a Range Instructor, Rifle Instructor, Rapid Deployment Instructor, and Physical Fitness Monitor. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice. In January 2023, he graduated from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command. Lieutenant Colonel Ahrens is an avid fundraiser and volunteer for Special Olympics Illinois and participates in the organization’s annual Torch Run.