Demoted Deputy Chief Gets $18K Raise And Isn't Working

JOLIET, IL — Marc Reid, a second Joliet deputy chief of police who was demoted on Jan. 13, has also received a pay hike of $17,688 to $171,505, Joliet Patch has learned. However, at no point during the past two months has Reid fulfilled his new assignment as the night watch lieutenant under new police chief Dawn Malec.

Instead, Reid got a doctor's note that allows him to remain on indefinite sick leave from the Joliet Police Department, Joliet Patch has learned. Patch previously reported that the new chief demoted Reid, Darrell Gavin and Joe Rosado, but she retained Mike Batis as deputy chief of technical services. The other three were being demoted as part of an internal shakeup of the command staff. There was belief within the police department, City Hall and with some members of the community that Police Chief Al Roechner and his upper administration needed to be replaced.

Reid, however, is not believed to be ill, according to multiple sources. On the night of Feb. 2, Joliet Patch saw Reid among the large crowd attending Joliet City Council Candidate Warren Dorris' political fund-raiser inside the Dock At Inwood. The bar and restaurant on West Jefferson Street is owned by retired Joliet Chief Mike Trafton and his brother, Rick, also a retired Joliet officer.

On Feb. 17, Joliet Patch submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the city of Joliet asking for the following information: "If Mr. Reid submitted any medical physician's notes to the city of Joliet and or the police department for an extended sick or medical leave in January 2021, Joliet Patch seeks a redacted copy of this document including the date this document was provided to the city of Joliet and the name of the physician who signed it."

City officials denied Patch's public records request on the grounds that it is private information.

Joliet Patch left a voicemail message with Reid's work cell phone seeking comment for this story, but he did not answer or respond Sunday night.

In any event, Reid is the third member of the former Joliet police command staff to receive a double-digit salary raise as an incentive to spike his Joliet police retirement pension. City police pensions are based on the officer's years of service and the final salary rate.

In early January, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner negotiated a $31,045 raise with outgoing city manager Jim Hock. The city's financial incentive convinced Roechner to accept a voluntary retirement rather than take the risk the city would fire him.

Roechner had hoped to stay in his job until July, which would have marked his 30th anniversary with the department.

Joliet Patch also reported that rather than accept a pay cut and a demotion down to sergeant, ousted Deputy Chief of Administration Darrell Gavin negotiated a $17,688 raise to spike his pension and boost his retirement severance during his final full week on the job in January.

Gavin had made a deputy chief's base salary of $153,817. However, Joliet let him retire with a final base salary of $171,505.

Like Gavin, Reid was also given the same raise in January, a pay hike of 11.5 percent, city of Joliet payroll records show.

Unlike Gavin and Roechner, Reid was too young to retire in January. Reid does not turn 50 years old until the first week in April.

During the past six weeks, Reid has remained on the city of Joliet's employment books at his new $171,505 salary, using his excess of sick leave days, city payroll records show.

Reid's new base salary is about $10,000 more than what Malec, Joliet's new police chief makes. It's also nearly $18,000 more than each of the four current deputy chiefs make.

New Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli said he approved the raises for Gavin and Reid because it was his understanding both men had worked out similar agreements with Jim Hock, the outgoing city manager, who approved the pay increase for Roechner, as an incentive to retire.

Reid had overseen his agency's internal affairs unit for nearly seven years prior to Roechner promoting him to deputy chief in December 2018. When Reid ran internal affairs, he dished out discipline against some officers who were accused of abusing the Joliet Police Department's sick leave policy.

When Roechner was chief in 2018, 2019 and 2020, Reid was not away from the Joliet police station on extended sick leave.

Since Malec became chief, Reid has remained away from the job on extended sick leave.

Reid is expected to remain on sick leave for at least one more month, sources told Patch.

When he turns 50 in April, Reid will be eligible to retire. Because of his nearly $18,000 raise, Reid may leave as the highest paid member of the Joliet Police Department.

Reid joined the Joliet Police Department in January 1995. With 26 years of service, Reid can expect to collect a city police pension at 65 percent of his final salary.

That means Reid's starting pension could be least $111,478.

Since Malec became chief on Jan. 11, Reid has now received three city of Joliet paychecks, all for sick time, at his new base salary of $171,505.

Like Gavin, Reid also gets $3,080 in annual longevity pay, $6,138 for special holiday pay and $2,100 as his annual court stipend, bringing his total annual compensation to about $182,825.

Meanwhile, as long as Reid remains on the city payroll, the Joliet Police administration can't fill his lieutenant's position, officials told Patch.