Bill Evans, Joliet's First Outside Police Department Chief Since 1990s, Intends To Retire Very Soon

JOLIET, IL — After serving as the Joliet Police Department chief for more than four years now, Bill Evans will apparently be retiring in the coming weeks, Joliet Patch has learned.

A retirement celebration for Evans has already been scheduled for Thursday, May 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. and notices have been distributed asking people to RSVP. The "Retirement Celebration" will be at the grand ballroom of the Joliet Train Station, 5 E. Jefferson St. Guests are asked to RSVP by May 12.

Subscribe

On Tuesday morning, Joliet Patch left a voicemail message seeking comment from Evans about his pending retirement from the Joliet Police Department. This story will be updated if Evans responds.

Evans was a regular presence in the community and in the news media during his tenure the past four years. In January, in announcing the latest arrest for Joliet's Jesus Zambrano, the police department issued a press release including several remarks from Chief Evans ripping the Illinois SAFE-T-Act.

"The Illinois SAFE-T Act is broken, and it is not making our community safer. It is creating a revolving door that puts the same violent offenders back into the community, while our officers and residents pay the price," Chief Evans declared. "And while I am frustrated with a criminal justice system that too often fails to hold repeat offenders accountable, I want the public to know this: I am incredibly proud of the men and women of the Joliet Police Department.

"Despite the challenges, despite the revolving door, and despite a broken system that repeatedly undermines public safety, our officers still show up every day. They still answer the calls. They still put themselves in harm’s way. For that, I am grateful, and I know the Joliet community is grateful as well," Chief Evans pointed out.

In February 2022, Joliet Patch reported that Evans, who ran in 2014 for Cook County Sheriff, losing to incumbent Tom Dart, would become the next permanent police chief for the Joliet Police Department.

Then-City of Joliet manager Jim Capparelli chose Evans, who was a lieutenant for Cook County before retiring, to become Joliet's new permanent chief. Evans served the Cook County Sheriff’s police for nearly 25 years, most recently as a lieutenant and area watch commander, supervising sergeants and patrol officers in the southern portion of Cook County, according to the city of Joliet.

Evans had extensive experience leading SWAT assignments and created and implemented training programs for other multi-regional SWAT teams. His most recent experience has been with the United States Department of Defense at the National Security Agency, along with corporate security management and training. Evans was a successful professional boxer in the 1990s and became the head coach of the Cook County Sheriff’s boxing program.

"I am tremendously honored to be selected as Joliet’s chief of police,” Evans said at the time of his hiring. “I look forward to creating new relationships and being part of this community. I am hoping I can influence our rank-and-file members to be the very best version of themselves.

Evans marked the first time Joliet hired someone outside the city for the police chief position since the 1990s, when it had two outside chiefs, both from the Chicago Police Department. In 1989, 47-year-old Chicago police captain Dennis Nowicki was hired as Joliet's new chief of police. Nowicki stayed with Joliet for three years. He was then replaced by fellow Chicago police official Joseph Beasley.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Evans was at the Cook County Sheriff's Office for 24 years, from 1992 until September 2016. He was a commanding officer in emergency services and a lieutenant in traffic patrol and field operations.

From September 2016 until September 2017, Evans was in Washington, D.C., with the NSA for the United States Department of Defense. From December 2017 until September 2019, Evans was with the Protech Security Group as a corporate banking security manager.

Since September 2019, Evans was a security professional on Chicago's Michigan Avenue with Strategic Security Solutions Inc., according to LinkedIn.