Joliet Cop Who Misbehaved At Police Party Becomes Lieutenant

JOLIET, IL — An arbitrator has overturned the city of Joliet's police and fire board vote from May rejecting Joliet Police Sgt. Chris Schott's promotion to a rank of lieutenant. The arbitrator's decision makes Schott one of the highest ranking members of Joliet's police force.

Lieutenants only answer to the four deputy chiefs and the chief of police.

On Monday afternoon at City Hall, Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli confirmed to Joliet Patch that an arbitrator has overturned the police and fire board's decision regarding Schott.

The arbitrator's ruling means that Schott becomes a Joliet police lieutenant effective immediately, according to Capparelli. Capparelli told Patch he took a neutral position on whether Schott's promotion to lieutenant was warranted, at the time of the police and fire board's vote in May.

Based on his number of years as sergeant, Schott's annual salary is likely to increase from around $122,875 to about $135,081. In addition, Schott's overtime pay will now be calculated at his new higher annual salary.

Schott has been a member of the Joliet Police Department since December 2003. Schott was promoted to the rank of sergeant in December 2018, the same month the Joliet City Council and Mayor Bob O'Dekirk appointed Al Roechner as the new permanent chief of police.

On March 11, Roechner's replacement, Police Chief Dawn Malec, informed Sgt. Schott that he was getting a 10-day unpaid suspension for his behavior at the off-duty Joliet police house party on Dec. 6, 2020.

While at the Chicago Bears game day party, Schott slapped a subordinate detective on his buttocks, and tried to kiss the man against his wishes, documents obtained by Joliet Patch from a Freedom of Information Act request show.

Within days of the Joliet police party, the male detective who felt mistreated and upset with Schott filed a formal complaint against the sergeant.

One source told Patch that the Sunday afternoon party had between a dozen and 30 people affiliated with the Joliet Police Department coming and going throughout the event. As a result of Schott's conduct at the party, one of Schott's relatives came and gave him a ride home, Patch learned.

In March, Joliet's new police chief informed Schott that his conduct at the off-duty holiday party was unbecoming of a Joliet police officer.

As part of Schott's punishment, then-chief Malec booted him out of the detective division, which meant he will no longer be involved in solving homicides and investigating major felony crimes in the city. Malec reassigned Sgt. Schott to the traffic patrol unit.

He also agreed to attend a training class as part of his punishment.

As it stands, Lt. Schott becomes the second Joliet police officer to have his rejected promotion overturned by an arbitrator's ruling.

During Monday's interview, Capparelli told Patch it was his understanding that the same arbitrator who handled Officer Rich Olson's appeal also handled Schott's appeal.

On May 19, Olson's promotion to a sergeant's position was rejected by Todd Wooten and the city's police and fire board because of lingering issues related to Olson's 24-day unpaid work suspension from a November 2018 incident.

Then, on July 23, Joliet Patch reported that Olson appealed the decision denying his promotion, and arbitrator Edwin Benn issued a written ruling, overturning Wooten and the city police and fire board.

Benn ordered Olson's promotion to Joliet police sergeant to take effect retroactively, to May 18.

On Monday, Joliet Patch contacted Wooten for reaction to the news that his vote to deny Schott's promotion to lieutenant was overturned by the same arbitrator who handled Olson's case.

"When the board's decision to deny Rich Olson's promotion was overturned, I predicted Schott's rejection would be overturned as well," remarked Wooten, who moved to Las Vegas in September, prompting him to resign from Joliet's police and fire board after several years of service.

"What's so disgraceful about Schott being promoted to lieutenant is that he never bothered to complete the discipline he received as a sergeant," Wooten notified Patch. "Discipline he received literally just weeks before he was recommended for promotion.

"There is a total lack of accountability on the Joliet Police Department, and promoting people literally just months after they receive discipline is part of the problem," Wooten added.

Back in May, Wooten told Patch that to the best of his knowledge Schott had not served his entire 10-day suspension nor has Schott completed the necessary training required of him as a result of his punishment stemming from the Dec. 6, 2020 party.

The internal affairs memo signed by then-Chief Malec notified Schott that he made "harassing, degrading and inappropriate comments" to a fellow member of the Joliet police force, in addition to slapping the subordinate's buttocks and trying to kiss the man.

Sources with knowledge of the incident told Joliet Patch in May that Schott maintained his behavior amounted to horseplay and work place camaraderie.

On the other hand, the subordinate detective had a different take on the incident. The Joliet police detective considered Schott's conduct as unwanted advances toward him, and that's why he filed the internal affairs complaint at the Joliet Police Department, seeking an investigation into Schott's behavior within days of the incident.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

JPD Sgt Slapped Detective's Buttocks At Party: Complaint

Arbitrator Overrules Joliet's Police Board: Olson Made Sergeant

Rejected: Olson Denied Joliet Police Sergeant's Promotion

Rejected: Sgt. Chris Schott Won't Become Joliet Police Lieutenant