Joliet Police Department named Chamber’s ‘Business of the Year’

JOLIET – Brian Benton already has “chief” and “officer” in his titles – now he can add “Executive.”

The Joliet Police Department has been recognized Large Business/Employer of the Year by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“It was very surprising to find out we were ... in that category. I wonder how Amazon or another large employer in the city would feel about a government entity getting an award,” Benton said. “But at the same time, we do try to run it as a business.”

Benton said the first question he asked the department’s 325 full-time employees during a staff meeting three years ago was “Who do we work for?”

The first answer was the taxpaying residents who provide police salaries, but Benton also wanted to know if “customers” would include people who only work at employers in Joliet, the customers at those businesses, the unemployed, visitors and tourists.

“Our goal – our product – is to provide a safe city and to prioritize that we have to be responsive to all those groups,” Benton said. “We’re not going to go out of business if the crime rate goes up, but we’ll have to answer to our shareholders.”

“They are a business just like any other. They have a payroll, employees, an H.R. department,” Chamber President Mary Jaworski said.

The nominations for chamber awards are confidential, but Jaworski said more than one person proposed the police department, which was a unanimous choice by the selection committee.

“Chief Benton was a speaker to the chamber earlier this year, and I think it struck a lot of people how tremendous a service they provide for us,” she said.

Jaworski also acknowledged the likelihood that some members viewed the award as a chance to show their support of law enforcement. Benton said such recognition gives “validation” to workers who chose an industry that doesn’t track profits.

“All of our employees are shareholders in the business, and we share the same pride in this that any other business would have,” Benton said.

The chamber on Monday also will recognize Servpro of Joliet, Lockport, Lemont and Homer Glen as the Small Business/Employer of the Year, Hawk Joliet for outstanding professional and business services, The Voyager Group for financial services and Bronk Berry Farms as a retail business.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy counties has been chosen as Social Service Agency of the Year, and Cheryl McCarthy and Mike Griglione will receive the Rabbi Hershman Community Service Awards.