JOLIET, IL — As a result of Tuesday's Joliet police and fire board decision, Lt. Jeremy Harrison, the Joliet Police Department supervisor who has not worked a day on the job since being put on leave in July 2025, will be getting a large sum of money just in time for the holidays, funding through the city of Joliet's taxpayers.
When Chief Bill Evans notified Harrison last December of his termination, the City of Joliet stopped paying Harrison anything. Harrison and his lawyers argued that such a decision was improper, and at Tuesday's meeting, the police and fire board voted 3 to 2 in favor of granting Harrison his back pay.
The back pay amount should essentially pay Harrison for all of this year, according to one of his attorneys.
"We are very pleased with the outcome of yesterday's Joliet Board of Fire and Police Commissioners hearing. The Board voted 3–2 in favor of reinstating Lieutenant Jeremy Harrison's pay. That decision concerned his compensation; it was not a decision reinstating him to active duty or resolving the underlying disciplinary charges," remarked attorney Oliver Soleiman of Michael Ettinger & Associates.
According to Soleiman, "Our argument was that the chief's authority to suspend Lieutenant Harrison without pay was limited to 30 days. We also argued that the contractual provisions relied upon to justify withholding his pay did not govern this proceeding because Lieutenant Harrison had signed a waiver of his contractual rights and elected to proceed before the Board rather than through arbitration. That distinction was central to our position: the City could not rely on the contractual process to justify continued nonpayment after Lieutenant Harrison waived that process and proceeded before the Board.
"We appreciate every Board member's time and consideration. The hearing continued past 7 p.m., and we recognize the effort required to address a difficult matter that has already involved lengthy proceedings. My client and I are grateful for the Board's work and encouraged by its decision."
On Oct. 7, the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation announced that two felony charges are now on file at the Will County Courthouse for "former police officer" Jeremy Harrison, 50, of Plainfield as he faces allegations of misusing the city's Flock system.
According to the state agency, in October 2025, the Joliet city inspector general requested that Illinois State Police investigate Harrison, who was a lieutenant with the Joliet Police Department. The request was made after an allegation that Harrison had been using the Flock license plate reader system for personal benefit. After a thorough investigation, state police and the Illinois Appellate Special Prosecutor presented the case to a grand jury in Will County, and Harrison was charged with computer tampering and official misconduct, ISP said.
Harrison Goes On Leave In July 2025
Joliet Patch previously reported that Harrison was put on paid leave from the Joliet Police Department in late July 2025. Then, in late December, Police Chief Bill Evans announced his decision to fire Harrison, who has been a member of the Joliet police force for 26 years.
Harrison and his lawyer Michael Ettinger appealed the termination, and a final decision has yet to be made by the city's police and fire board, a five-member panel made up of appointments recommended by Mayor D'Arcy.
According to the Joliet police chief's termination notice, in July 2025, "Lieutenant Harrison accessed the Joliet Police Department's Automatic License Plate Reader Database, known as 'Flock,' for a purpose not associated with law enforcement activities, but for personal purposes to track the location of a female officer."
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