Hefty Raise For New Deputy Chief, Joliet Police Staff Reshuffled

JOLIET, IL — After going nearly an entire year with one of his deputy chief positions unfilled, Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner has reshuffled his upper command staff and promoted Lt. Joe Rosado to deputy chief of operations, Joliet Patch has learned.

Rosado's promotion to deputy chief of operations took effect March 13 and marked Rosado's second big salary increase so far this year.

In January, Rosado's annual salary increased from $130,435 to $137,806 while he was still a lieutenant.

Then, after his promotion to deputy chief in mid-March, Joliet increased Rosado's pay by another $16,011. Now, Rosado's current base salary is $153,817, Patch recently learned through a Freedom of Information Act request to the city.

In 2019, as a police lieutenant, Rosado made $158,624 in total compensation, including about $17,600 in overtime pay plus another $9,600 in what's known as specialty assignment pay.

In addition to the promotion of Rosado to deputy chief of operations, Roechner's deputy chief of operations Marc Reid was transferred to deputy chief of criminal investigations.

Prior to his promotion to deputy chief in December 2018, Reid was the lieutenant in charge of the Joliet Police Department's internal affairs unit for several years.

Reid's recent transfer to deputy chief of criminal investigations means Darrell Gavin is out as deputy chief of criminal investigations.

Before his promotion to deputy chief in December 2018, Gavin had been a detective sergeant in the criminal investigation division.

Gavin's LinkedIn profile still lists him as being criminal investigations deputy chief. Gavin did not return calls from Patch seeking comment about his reassignment.

Although Patch's FOIA specifically requested any and all documents related to the reshuffling of Roechner's upper administration, the city provided documents for Rosado, Reid and deputy chief Mike Batis, but nothing for Gavin.

Documents furnished by the city of Joliet this week identified Batis as being given a lateral job transfer on March 13 to deputy chief of technical services.

However, Joliet Patch reported back in December 2018 that Batis was being promoted from lieutenant to deputy chief of technical services.

Patch called Roechner's secretary early Wednesday afternoon seeking clarification on all the reshuffling of Roechner's deputy chiefs in recent weeks, but nobody called Patch back.

In any event, by process of elimination, Gavin is likely serving as Roechner's deputy chief of administration and filling the position created by John Perona's departure last summer.

In December 2018, Perona was promoted from sergeant all the way up the ranks to deputy chief of administration, but he only lasted seven months in the job.

As Joliet Patch previously reported, former interim city manager Marty Shanahan had identified a number of problems within the upper police command staff by this time a year ago. Shanahan told others he wanted to reorganize the police administration, starting with Perona.

Then, two major events happened. First, Perona chose to retire and begin collecting his police pension rather than accept a demotion back to his former position of sergeant.

Second, members of the Joliet City Council's Mudron 5 coalition, taking cues from the Joliet Police Department's Supervisors Association, voted to oust Shanahan as interim city manager and send him back to the city's legal department as corporation counsel.

Shanahan's removal as city manager last June halted any further dismantling of the Joliet Police Department's upper administration, giving Roechner additional job security.

During an interview Wednesday, Shanahan's successor as interim city manager, Steve Jones, told Joliet Patch's editor that Rosado was promoted to deputy chief in March after undergoing interviews with Roechner, Jones and human resources director Kathy Franson.

Jones told Patch that four members of the Joliet Police Department who applied for the deputy chief opening were given personal interviews, and Rosado was recommended for the promotion.

In years past, major job promotions within the Joliet Police Department have been announced in a news release, posted on the Joliet Police Department's Facebook page or announced during a Joliet City Council meeting.

However, Roechner did not publicly disclose the reassignments within his upper command staff, nor did he publicize Rosado's promotion to deputy chief back in March.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Joliet Police Department's False Arrest Costs Taxpayers $450,000

Joliet Detective Sues Chief Roechner For Racial Discrimination

Mayor: There Has Been Nonstop Chaos On Joliet Police Department