Commander Dan Eppard joined the Aurora Police Department in 1992 as a Police Cadet and was sworn in as an officer in 1995. Dan is a graduate of West Aurora High School and earned his Associates Degree from Waubonsee Community College. He also graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program and Northwestern University's Police Supervision Program. 

Dan began in the department’s patrol division and has held numerous assignments at APD, including serving as a Defensive Tactics Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Field Training Officer, Special Response Team member, Sniper Team leader, Special Operations Group Sergeant, Training Division Sergeant, Deadly Force Investigations Team, and Office of Professional Standards Investigator. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2006 and Lieutenant in 2017. He most recently served as the Lieutenant of the Office of Professional Standards. 

Dan was appointed to the rank of Commander in 2022 and currently oversees the Bureau of Neighborhood Policing.