[ad_1]
Jesse Barnes graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2000 and got his first job with the Skokie Police Department at age 22, with the goal of becoming a detective. He went even further: He was sworn in as police chief in January after nearly 24 years with the department.
Barnes said his first positions with the department were as patrol officer and evidence technician, and he then worked his way up through the various units involved in investigations. As he became a detective, he became interested in taking a more senior position within the police department.
“Everything in law enforcement is a team effort,” Barnes told the Pioneer Press in a March interview. “I couldn’t do what I do without the team.”
After two to three months as chief, Barnes said he will focus on communicating with the public and recruiting qualified employees for the department, since most police departments no longer receive applicants as they did a few years ago. quantity.
When it comes to communicating with the public, Barnes said the department listens to complaints from residents, such as drivers speeding past children waiting at bus stops.
“That’s their priority, so we make it ours,” he said.
When police stop drivers driving through bus stops, they tell them that community members have complained about cars not slowing down or stopping, which is a way to communicate and highlight community priorities, Barnes said.
The department has hired a recruiting officer to handle recruits and lateral transfers, the latter of which means police officers working in other departments can transfer to Skokie, Barnes said.
To help these new officers, the police department has implemented some changes to help civilians and first responders, Barnes said. Barnes said the department has implemented a peer support program that allows officers to check in with each other or with a mental health professional if they want to see one.
The department has 110 to 115 sworn officers, including the highest-ranking patrol officer, Barnes said. Other employees include communications operators and administrative staff.
Barnes succeeds former Chief Brian Baker, who joined the department in 1994, became chief in November 2020, and retired in December 2023. Before Baker, former Chief Anthony Scarpelli retired in 2020 after 38 years with the department.
Barnes said he didn’t know he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up, but he wanted to work in law enforcement, like his high school football and wrestling coach. Early in his career, he was also able to give back to young men and coaches, something he sees as a trend among younger officers starting to work night shifts and serve as coaches in their free time.
The department also engages with youth through its Explorers program, which is designed to educate youth about law enforcement, Barnes said. According to the Village of Skokie website, many Explorers assist with numerous Skokie Village events throughout the year, including the Cultural Festival, Fourth of July Parade and Backlot Carnival.
During his career with the police department, Barnes has served on task forces, joined the investigative team, worked as a detective during the night shift, and served as an investigating officer and patrol officer before becoming a commander.
During his time with the investigative unit, Barnes served on the Northern Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF), a collaborative effort between 13 northern suburbs police departments that investigates serious crimes such as murder. NORTAF members meet to investigate specific crimes, which allows them to benefit from the specific expertise of their members more than the expertise of any one unit, Barnes said.
“NORTAF is a great resource—a team that works together regularly and receives extensive training,” said Barnes. “We have a good relationship with them and always feel like the investigation is in good hands (when they investigate a case).”
After serving as commander, Barnes was promoted to deputy commander of the administrative division and deputy commander of the field division. He held both positions for a year before Skokie Village Manager John Lockerbie appointed him village president.
In his more than two decades with the department, Barnes said Skokie has been and remains a very diverse suburb, and department officers can respond in a variety of languages, including the ones they most frequently encounter. of three languages - Arabic, Assyrian and Spanish. In addition, some officers also speak Tagalog, Polish, Korean and Vietnamese.
[ad_2]
Source link