Joliet Junior College police chief plans to retire in July

The police chief of Joliet Junior College plans to retire on the Fourth of July.

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees accepted Chief Pete Comanda’s retirement at Wednesday’s board meeting, said the college’s spokeswoman, Kelly Rohder-Tonelli. Comanda sent JJC President Judy Mitchell his retirement letter April 25, she said.

Comanda, who's been the police chief for more than 17 years, said his decision to retire had nothing to do with a college investigation in which several employees substantiated allegations that he made "racially-based statements" and engaged in "bullying, intimidation and threats," according to a memo from Rob Galick, the college's vice president of administrative services.

Comanda also said his retirement had nothing to do with student leaders calling for his resignation at a Feb. 26 board meeting in response to the college’s investigation.

He said he’s talked about retiring from JJC for the past two years but kept pushing the date back until he felt the funding and design for the development of a police station was underway.

But Comanda also said he wanted to stay with JJC long enough to defend his reputation.

"I was going to defend my reputation to the degree it can still be done. It's done," Comanda said.

Comanda insisted the allegations detailed in Galick’s memo were false and there are “plenty of people at the college who know what happened.”

“To me, the people that matter and that count know what’s going on,” he said.

Comanda was instructed to complete a performance improvement plan after Galick’s memo said testimony from employees substantiated allegations of him making “racially-based statements” and creating a hostile work environment.

The six-month plan outlined specific behaviors and actions for improvement that Comanda was expected to follow. Rohder-Tonelli said the plan is scheduled to end in mid-May.

At the Feb. 26 board meeting, several student leaders told board members they felt unsafe with Comanda still serving as the police chief. Sebastian Gonzalez, president of student government, said students are "concerned, upset, furious" with Comanda.

“I ask you not only as a leader but as a member of the community, please rethink your decision of Comanda’s involvement with the country’s best community college,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said he wants more transparency from college administrators because he didn’t find out about the investigation of Comanda until Mitchell sent students an email about it and he saw a Herald-News story.