4 New Deputy Joliet Police Chiefs Named

JOLIET, IL - Now that Al Roechner has been installed as the city of Joliet's permanent chief of police, four new deputy police chiefs are being installed this week at the Joliet Police Department. At Tuesday's regular Joliet City Council meeting, the city will introduce the following veteran Joliet Police officials into the upper command staff of the state's third largest city:

• Sgt. Darrell Gavin, pictured above, who has worked in investigations as a detective. Gavin joined Joliet's Police Department in 1998.
• Lt. Marc Reid, who has overseen his agency's internal affairs unit for nearly seven years.
• Lt. Mike Batis, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years before joining the Joliet Police force in 1997.
• Sgt. John Perona, a veteran patrol sergeant who has also worked as a training officer in the department.

Over the past several months, the Joliet Police Department has made a number of swift arrests in connection several high-profile violent crimes around Joliet.

Among the notable cases that were solved quickly under Roechner's watch include:

• October's disappearance and murder of 25-year-old Ashley Tucker, which led to first-degree murder charges against Peter Zabala, a dangerous sexual predator, according to police.
• August's death of 38-year-old District 86 school teacher Becky Kazecki, whose husband Michael Kazecki has been charged with beating her to death at their McDonough Street home.
• The late August shooting death of 23-year-old Lockport resident Alexander Perez, who was visiting criminal defendant Jacob Megrant in the Cumberland South subdivision to purchase drugs, according to prosecutors. After Perez was shot in the house, Megrant fled his family's home on Hadrian Drive, and he was arrested several hours later in Bloomington, where police found several loaded guns in his car, Patch has previously reported.

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Meanwhile, Roechner has also brought a more relaxed atmosphere to the Joliet Police Department since he was named as interim chief in August. Practically every day this month, the Joliet Police Department Facebook page shows 'Chief Al/Elf on the Shelf' at a new strange location.

Several of the Joliet Police Department's 21,000 Facebook followers are enjoying it.

Related: Chief Al Elf Infiltrates Joliet Police Department

Main image of new Joliet Police Deputy Chief of Police Darrell Gavin provided to Patch,