1st Woman Joliet Police Chief In City's History, Lande Thrilled

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner submitted his retirement papers Friday, and on Monday morning, Joliet's new City Manager Jim Capparelli named Lt. Dawn Malec as Joliet's new chief of police.

Malec has been a lieutenant on the force since November 2014. Malec joined the police department in 1994, so this is her 27th year with the department.

She becomes Joliet's first-ever female chief. For decades and decades, only white men held the position of Joliet police chief.

Malec's appointment is on interim basis.

"I've known Dawn for 25 years," said Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, who served as a Joliet police officer during the 1990s. "She's an outstanding person and I think she'll do a great job leading our police department."

If Capparelli is pleased with her performance, she may become the permanent chief. Otherwise, Joliet will likely conduct a national search in hopes of finding its next permanent chief from outside the state of Illinois, sources told Patch.

On Monday, Joliet Patch interviewed Joliet City Councilman Herb Lande, who previously served for five years on the city's police and fire board.

Lande praised Capparelli for making such an outstanding decision on his first day as Joliet's permanent city manager.

"I think this choice by Jim Capparelli, his first appointment on Day 1, is extremely progressive," Lande told Patch. "Having the first woman ever in Joliet as chief of police in the third largest city (of Illinois) is extremely progressive.

"I think it will give Joliet a new perspective on policing. I read her resume and she's extremely qualified. I wish her will. I think it's a good move," Lande said.

Joliet Patch asked Lande if there were any benchmarks or objectives he wanted Malec to reach now that she's is installed as interim police chief.

"Bring harmony to the department and make sure that all people feel that their voice can be heard no matter what their rank or their position is."

(Joliet Patch article continues below this photo of Herb Lande.)

On Friday night, Joliet Patch published an article revealing the names of six people who might be under consideration for chief of police: Malec, Lt. Sherrie Blackburn, Deputy Chief of Technical Services Mike Batis, Lt. John Ross, Lt. Joe Egizio and Lt. Chris Botzum.

In that article, Joliet Patch predicted that Malec's chances of being named police chief "were high."

At the moment, Joliet has four deputy chiefs: Joe Rosado, deputy chief of operations, Darrell Gavin, deputy chief of administration, Marc Reid, deputy chief of criminal investigations and Batis.

It will be up to Malec to determine who will serve in the deputy chief positions. She may decide to replace some or all of Roechner's deputy chiefs.

Joliet's appointment of Malec as interim police chief follows in the path of nearby Aurora, the state's second largest city with a population of 200,000.

Five years ago this month, Aurora promoted Commander Kristen Ziman as Aurora's next chief. Last month, Ziman learned that she was not chosen as the next chief of police in Nashville, where she was one of five finalists.