Turvey Named Romeoville Police Chief

After seven months, it’s official.

Romeoville Interim Police Chief Mark Turvey will drop the “interim” from his title, becoming the village’s top cop less than a year after taking the reins from retiring Chief Andrew Barto.

The Romeoville Village Board voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint Turvey, a career Romeoville police officer, to the position. Mayor John Noak said it was easy to recommend making Turvey’s position permanent.

“He has done just an outstanding job for our community,” Noak said, calling Turvey an “amazing asset to this community.”

Turvey was fresh out of college when he joined the Romeoville Police Department in 1980.

Only 22, “I was somewhat naïve,” he said.

Even so, he made a decision about the kind of police officer he wanted to be — and stuck with it. His motto?

“Treat citizens the way you would want to be treated … if you were the victim of a crime or you were getting a ticket,” Turvey said.

“No one’s perfect. I had my bad days but, for the most part, I think I was able to live up to that standard.”

His goal as a rookie officer was  to build a positive relationship between the police and the community.

Seeing a lack of trust between the public and the police, “It didn’t make sense to me,” Turvey said. “They pay your salary, you work for them. I always felt there should be a close relationship with the community. You’re there to protect and to serve them.”

As a new officer, “ … I decided I would try to wave and smile at every person I saw on patrol,” he remembered. “After a couple months, another employee came up to me and said, ‘People in town are talking about you,’” Turvey said, drawing laughs. “’What’s up with this cop who’s waving and smiling at everyone?’"

Since those days, the Romeoville Police Department has found other ways to connect with residents, Turvey said, including the D.A.R.E. program, neighborhood watch and, its latest addition, a bicycle patrol.

“I’ve always believed a department can make a significant impact on the quality of life in a community but it can only do that if it has the support of the community,” he said.

Turvey thanked his coworkers, both sworn officers and civilian employees.

“It’s truly a team effort in this department,” he said, adding his career has been influenced by his predecessors, including Barto, a 38-year-veteran of the Romeoville police, whom he called his mentor.

“I worked with him for 30 years,” Turvey said. “ … I would not be here today without Chief Barto.”

Turvey also thanked his wife and children for their support during a career that's meant spending many weekends and holidays on the job.

Noak called it a “great honor” to appoint Turvey to the position of chief.

“Many of us respect what he’s been able to do in a relatively short time,” Noak said, telling Turvey, “We are really proud and honored to have you in this position.”

The new chief’s goals haven’t changed much since his rookie days.

“I’ll continue to build a positive relationship building on trust and respect (with the community),” he said.