Dawn Malec Becomes Joliet's Permanent Chief Of Police

JOLIET, IL — In January, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner agreed to retire in exchange for getting a nearly $20,000 raise to spike his pension. At Tuesday night's Joliet City Council meeting, city manager Jim Capparelli announced that there will be no national or regional search for the next chief of police.

Instead, Capparelli annnounced his decision to make Dawn Malec the permanent chief.

On his first day at City Hall, on Jan. 11, Capparelli named Malec, a longtime patrol division lieutenant, as the interim chief of police.

Malec was ill and unable to attend Tuesday's Council meeting, Capparelli informed everyone. Malec joined the police department in 1994, so this is her 27th year with Joliet.

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