Hebron’s first female police chief spent inaugural year building community, overhauling department

In her first year since taking on the position of Hebron’s police chief, Juanita Gumble – the first female ever to head the department – has been busy.

Among several tasks, she has secured the evidence room meeting required state standards, ensured officers have proper equipment and added a full-time community resource officer-school liaison.

“Juanita is such an asset to Hebron,” Village Trustee Dawn Milarski said. “Coming from the department we had prior, she is like a breath of fresh air. She is extremely compassionate and very empathetic, and that quality really shines in such a little, small town. ... She broke the glass ceiling.”

Gumble, sworn in as police chief Jan. 30, 2023 – replacing someone who lasted in the job just weeks – earned a master’s degree in conflict resolution and a bachelor of sciences, both from Roosevelt University.

She has worked as a dispatcher in Island Lake, a McHenry County courthouse security officer and both a full- and part-time police officer in Hebron and Lakewood.

Her first year as top cop serving Hebron, which has about 1,300 residents, kicked off with a complete overhaul of the evidence vault that had come under fire after an inspection by the Illinois State Police.

Following the inspection, which occurred during the previous chief’s time, ISP sent an email stating the evidence vault was not secured. In her first few days of being chief, Gumble found the email listing the failures of the vault and got right to work.

The corrective steps included wrapping and tagging guns, placing evidence in separate compartments and installing security cameras and double locks. Evidence lockers were moved from a space with a drop ceiling into a room with a concrete ceiling and steel door. Lockers also were secured to the wall, and the evidence-processing station is now next to the lockers.

In her first year, Gumble also implemented online police training programs and a tracking system for written warnings by officers. She introduced a “Drug Take Back Program” with a kiosk at the Hebron Village Hall.

She added a community resource officer who also is the school liaison, Darrick Tomlin, to the Alden-Hebron School District 19. Tomlin’s job includes connecting with students, daily walk-throughs at the schools and being present at crosswalks mornings and afternoons.

Gumble said he’s the department’s “eyes and ears at the schools. The kids love him.”

The chief also met with the district’s superintendent, Tiffany Elswick, and created an active shooter plan. The plan has been disseminated to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Task Force with school maps and a written plan to assist in backup if ever necessary, she said.

In August 2022 during a village board meeting, Elswick had said she was “gravely concerned about safety” at the schools should there be a crisis with a diminished police department.

Gumble also has obtained or improved equipment for the officers, including body cameras and tasers. She has updated and secured software improving communication with the county and state police. She has ensured current squad cars are maintained and secured a Crown Victoria from Spring Grove now used as a Hebron squad.

She secured “lockout” equipment for officers so they now can help people who lock their keys inside their cars.

Gumble created daily routines for officers when they’re not handling calls from dispatch, such as patrolling subdivisions, businesses, checking on at-risk residents or homes of people on vacation, even interacting with residents’ pets.

And, according to Hebron Village Board President Robert Shelton – who in 2021 when elected ran on the promise to cut the police department’s budget – she is doing these things and more all within budget.

“She has kept costs in line,” Shelton said. “She has been excellent in efficiently using resources she has.”

When elected, Shelton slashed the more than $430,000 police budget by $100,000 and reduced the number of officers. At the time, there were six full-time sworn officers and six part-timers on the books available for shifts.

Today, with Gumble at the helm, there are four full-timers and four part-timers. One of the full-timers is Tomlin, the school liaison, a non-police position. Gumble said she only uses part-timers as needed and does not have any officers working a midnight shift. When a call comes during those hours, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responds, she said. Her first two months on the job, Gumble said she was the only officer.

“I am very, very pleased with having Juanita as the chief,” Shelton said. “She has provided structure, number one, that has been tremendous.”

Shelton said Gumble has improved relationships with personnel, other police agencies and state officials, as well as with residents.

Part of that relationship-building is her open-door policy, welcoming face-to-face interactions – as well as buying $900 in Girl Scout cookies to hand out to residents and the food pantry. She also helped facilitate Hebron’s first-ever National Night Out and even played Mrs. Claus at a holiday event for the community.

Gumble said she has enjoyed her first year as police chief and appreciates all the support she has received.

“I am very happy about how supportive the village board has been of the police department,” Gumble said. “Every member has contributed to building the [police department]. I am proud and happy about finally being able to function. ... Getting the needed supplies, mending relationships with surrounding villages, towns and counties. Those relationships are very important to Hebron.”