Joliet Police Chief Retiring, City Hall Names Temporary Chief Once Bill Evans Leaves In May

JOLIET, IL — After serving as the Joliet Police Department chief for more than four years now, Bill Evans will be retiring in the coming weeks, as revealed in another exclusive story first reported by the Joliet Patch.

On Tuesday morning, Joliet Patch left a voicemail message seeking comment from Evans about his pending retirement from the Joliet Police Department. Meanwhile, by the middle of Tuesday afternoon, the city of Joliet issued a press release acknowledging what Joliet Patch already reported, that Evans will be leaving the city in the near future.

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"Since his appointment, Evans has provided steady
leadership and brought a wealth of experience to the department, with a strong focus on public safety, professionalism, and community engagement. Under his leadership, the department has continued to strengthen its commitment to transparency, accountability, and building trust with residents across Joliet," the city announced.

“It’s been an honor to serve the City of Joliet and lead the men and women of the Joliet Police Department,” said Chief Evans. “I’m proud of the work the department has done and the
commitment shown every day by our officers. I appreciate the trust placed in me during my time here, and I leave confident in the direction the department is headed and the dedicated
professionals from the Joliet Police Department who will carry it forward.”

Effective upon Chief Evans’ retirement on May 28, Deputy Chief Robert Brown will assume the role of interim police chief. Deputy Chief Brown serves as Joliet Police
Department’s second-in-command and has been a member of the department since 2000. Brown earned a master’s degree in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University in 2019,
and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Governors State University in 1998. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, the Northwestern University Executive Management Program, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at
Boston University.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to Chief Evans for his leadership and service to the City of Joliet," said Mayor Terry D'Arcy. “His experience and commitment to public safety have helped guide the department during his tenure, and we wish him continued success in retirement. As we begin the process of selecting the next Chief of Police, it is important that we take a thoughtful and inclusive approach. Deputy Chief Brown is a respected leader within the department, and we are confident in his ability to provide steady direction and keep the
department well-positioned to meet the needs of our community during this transition.”

The City of Joliet said it will initiate a formal recruitment process in the coming weeks to identify the next chief of police. An open recruitment will then take place, followed by candidate selection and interviews, with an announcement of the selected candidate expected this summer.

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.