Mike Schofield assumed the role of Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for the City of La Vista on May 31, 2024. He brings more than 34 years of experience in the Law Enforcement and Homeland Security mission space, showcasing a career marked by strategic planning and innovative problem-solving. 

As the City of La Vista’s new Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety, Mike aims to continue the department’s mission of providing exceptional service to the community while developing leadership throughout the department. His leadership is expected to drive the department’s efforts in fostering innovative solutions and strategic thinking to address the continuously evolving challenges facing the field of law enforcement today. 

After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps, and served with the 1^st and 3^rd Battalions of the 8^th Marine Regiment. He was honorably discharged from the military in July of 1990, and returned to the Kansas City area. He began his law enforcement career in September of 1990 with the Platte County Sheriff’s Department in Missouri. Two years later he transitioned to the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department where he remained for thirty-one years and nine months and retired as a Major. 

Throughout his career, Mike has led cross-functional teams of subject matter experts and provided valuable advice to key executive decision-makers across federal, state, and local governments, as well as private sector organizations. His extensive experience includes conducting pre-event planning of law enforcement operations for large-scale special events, patrol/criminal interdiction operations, community-oriented policing, capital improvements/planning and project management, counter-drug intelligence analysis, criminal investigations, budget preparation and management, evidence based/intelligence led policing, and information technology management. Mike is known for his approach to understanding the needs of the community, building trust and collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and effectively communicating requirements to leadership.

Mike’s expertise lies in applying a critical-thinking approach to identify the root causes of problems and using both qualitative and quantitative analyses to understand the impact of potential solutions. He has a proven track record for quickly utilizing new innovative techniques and excelling at creative problem-solving and leveraging non-traditional approaches to overcome obstacles and deliver tangible results.

Mike has earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Baker University, an Executive Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from Benedictine College, and a Master of Arts in National Security Studies with an emphasis in Homeland Defense and Security from the Naval Postgraduate School. His formal education has helped prepare him for the transition to the executive level leadership within the police department by expanding his working knowledge of subjects such as accounting, human resource management, change management, organizational leadership, homeland security, critical incident management, the national intelligence community, and counterterrorism.

He has also sought out numerous opportunities to attend voluntary training to enhance his competency in law enforcement, as well as improve his skills as a leader. For example, he attended the National Criminal Justice Public Agency – Leadership and Supervision for Challenging Times seminar, completed the International Association of Chiefs of Police – Advanced Supervisory Skills course, and attended the Franklin Covey – Leadership for the Public Sector program. Additionally, he participated in two training programs by the Arbinger Institute titled, “World Class Leadership” and “Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results.” In 2024, he received the FBI – Law Enforcement Executive Development Association’s Trilogy Award for completion of the Supervisory Leadership, Command Leadership, and the Executive Leadership Institutes.