Joliet police chief seeks to push department ‘forward in a positive direction’

Since taking charge in March, Joliet’s newest police chief said he’s been fostering closer relationships with rank-and-file officers, making the department more responsive to residents’ concerns and pushing for new mental health initiatives.

Joliet Police Chief William Evans spoke about the latest developments at the police department to dozens of people who attended Wednesday’s luncheon that was hosted by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Joliet.

“I think one of the reasons the command staff was brought in and I was brought in was to create a level of stability for the organization ... and to move the department forward in a positive direction,” Evans said. “And I think we’re doing that in the last five months.”

Evans is the fourth police chief in Joliet since 2018. He has taken the reins of a department that has been troubled by controversy over the years, most significantly a civil investigation that was launched last year by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul into department’s policing practices. Evans did not talk about that investigation, which remains ongoing.

When Evans officially took on the role as chief in March, he told city officials he believes the Joliet Police Department is a “great police department” that has experienced “some bumps in the road.”

Evans made similar comments at Wednesday’s luncheon, where he said that he receives more compliments than complaints about the rank-and-file officers. He asked for a round of applause for them at the event.

“I’m sure we can all agree what a difficult time it is to be a cop right now, and I appreciate what they’ve done,” Evans said.

Evans said the department plans to equip more officers with body-worn cameras. He told the crowd they would be “shocked at how valuable those things are.”

“We receive citizen complaints about something officers [have] done or said, and then we review the tape, and that isn’t even nearly what took place,” Evans said.

Evans highlighted how the department has tackled issues raised by residents regarding panhandlers in roadways and off-road vehicles cruising city streets since he came onboard.

This summer, officers have been issuing citations to panhandlers who wander into roadways. The Joliet City Council approved a local law in June that makes it illegal to fill the gas tank of a dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle or other off-road vehicle at a gas station, unless it’s hauled there on a trailer.

Evans said the department is also aiming to hire more officers. He said there are about 254 officers and the department is budgeted to have about 286 officers.

“What we’d like to do over the next 18 months to two years is get to that number,” Evans said.

Evans said the department plans to implement a program to address teen suicide.

“We’re going to identify areas in the city of Joliet that we think maybe [are] prone to a teen suicide, and we’re going to focus on those areas,” Evans said. “We’re going to put signage up. We’re going to do all kinds of things. If we can save one teen life with this program, I’m happy.”

Evans said he also plans to have officers receive training on how to provide resources for people struggling with mental health issues.

Evans said he’s a proponent of proactive policing. He gave the audience two examples this year of police officers executing search warrants that resulted in the seizure of numerous narcotics and guns.

“We’re going to encourage our people to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons, but we’re also going to teach them to be aggressive,” he said.