Ayala to be next Maple Park police chief

MAPLE PARK – The Maple Park Village Board has unanimously approved the hiring of a new police chief to replace the retiring chief in May.

The board at its meeting Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of hiring Maple Park Police Sgt. Tony Ayala to replace Chief Mike Acosta, who has been with the department since 2009. Village Trustees Valerie Massa and Luke Goucher were absent from the meeting.

“Tony has worked in the Village of Maple Park already for more than two years,” Village President Kathy Curtis said. “He was promoted to sergeant by the current police chief, and when the police chief retired, he did give Tony a recommendation.”

Ayala will assume the police chief role May 3 at a starting salary of $54,000 with benefits. He earned his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice administration, and he has 20 years of law enforcement experience. Ayala served with the Northern Illinois University Police Department before coming to Maple Park, according to a news release.

“I’m looking forward to just a smooth transition and carrying forward, of course, the professionalism and the community policing model that we already have in place. because I think that’s important,” Ayala said.

Acosta will officially finish his six years with the Maple Park Police Department on May 14 and retire with his wife to their Sugar Grove home.

The outgoing chief is best known for his work with the community’s kids and being a proud supporter of the village’s Special Olympics team. Under Acosta, the Maple Park police raised more than any department in the state in the Torch Run for Special Olympics fundraiser in two consecutive years and mended what he felt was a disconnect between the community and local law enforcement.

Ayala’s goals include the same community-centered values, he said.

“Chief [Acosta] and I, we have similar experiences, but also our vision seems to be that our kids are very, very important,” Ayala said. “They’re our future.”