Peru appoints first female police chief in La Salle County history

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond made history on Monday when she was appointed the first female police chief in La Salle County history.

Roughly 60 people crammed into the Peru City Council chambers Monday to see Raymond take her oath of office. Raymond said it’s an honor not only to be the first female police chief in Peru, but the first throughout La Salle County.

“It means a lot to me, but more so it means a lot to other women in law enforcement,” Raymond said. “I have always held in high regard those females wishing to get into this profession, and I believe they are needed very much so for many different aspects of the job.”

Raymond joined the Peru police department in 2004 and moved up the ranks. In 2009, she was promoted to sergeant and in 2017 to a commander position. Raymond was promoted to deputy chief in 2021 alongside Bob Pyszka, who was promoted to police chief at the time. Pyszka is retiring at the end of the month, and Raymond will serve as his successor.

Raymond said working with other females in leadership positions in the profession made a big impact on her, specifically mentioning a detective in Peru and the Deputy Chief Sarah Kinkin in Spring Valley.

“These women have helped me to prosper and realize that women in law enforcement can obtain these types of goals in a male-dominated profession,” Raymond said. “I believe it’s an important step, and I don’t think anybody in this department sees me as a woman police chief. They all see me as an equal to them and someone that will hopefully be helpful to them, teach them and create success for them.”

Pyszka said Raymond has unique views on how the department should be run and can communicate well with the younger generation. Both, he said, will serve her well as chief.

“It’s a very big accomplishment, not only for her but also for all the females that want to go into this position,” Pyszka said. “In the past, obviously, it’s been a more male0driven profession, but her becoming the chief and making her way through the ranks of the city of Peru shows other females that this can be accomplished.”

Mayor Ken Kolowski called the appointment “historic” and said Raymond is smart, educated, has many leadership qualities and is extremely talented.

“It’s historic in the sense that she’s the first female chief, but she’s getting the job because she’s talented and qualified, and I think that’s more important,” Kolowski said.

Raymond holds a long list of credentials, including a Medal of Valor from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for her actions in stopping an armed burglary where a man came at her with a 3.5 foot steel pipe. She received the Illinois Valley Association of Chiefs’ Police Officer of the Year Award the same year.

Raymond also is a certified child forensic sex assault interviewer, a sexual assault investigator instructor, an ALICE certified instructor and CPR instructor. She has a masters degree in criminal justice and has taken numerous other courses throughout her career. She’s a member of multiple organizations, including the Illinois Valley, Illinois and National Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives.

Aside from her professional accomplishments, Raymond is involved in the local community. She’s on the planning committee for Peru’s annual Christmas event and the Taste of Illinois Valley. She’s a co-founder of the Blue and Red Christmas for Kids and started the No-Shave November city fundraiser.

As an officer, Raymond values community involvement. Getting officers involved and interacting with the community is something she’s advocated for as a leader in the Peru police department.

“The more the community can see us and know that we’re there for them, it helps allow them to trust us more,” Raymond said. “Community members are of vital importance in many investigations, so having their support and trust builds a strong bond that can bridge that gap between police and community.”

Moving forward, Raymond is looking forward to helping create success in the department and working with the younger generation as they come into the police force. She said she enjoys the growing diversity of the department and seeing the fresh ideas they bring.

“My goals are to create succession here, to help the patrolmen become sergeants by the sergeants helping them, to continue to be successful in the community and to get more officer involvement in the community,” Raymond said. “(I intend to) continue the police work and day to day operations we have now and maximize our efforts to provide the service to this community that they deserve.”