Winfield’s acting chief wants the job full time
Stacy Reever, Winfield’s acting police chief, said she hopes her title becomes permanent and that she has thrown her hat into the ring for consideration.
She is among more than 100 people who have applied for the position, which opened up in March after the retirement of Frank Bellisario.
Winfield officials say they hope to have a new permanent police chief in place by the end of the summer.
Reever, who has spent her 22-year career with the Winfield force, has led the department since March 4. She said the topic of who will take the reins has been a popular one among the 17 officers at the department. But she says morale remains high and the discussion stems from a general curiosity about the department’s future.
Village Manager Curt Barrett said officials delayed the search following Bellisario’s announcement in November because they wanted to lay out a plan for the search.
“We wanted to permit some time for Stacy to get some experience in the position and get a better look at how we wanted to approach the permanent chief selection,” Barrett said.
Barrett would not comment on Reever, saying he did not want to speak about any specific candidates.
Barrett said the village placed ads in several law enforcement publications and they resulted in more than 100 applicants.
“We are certainly looking to make the best hire we can,” he said. “Our acting police chief has performed well in the role.”
Bellisario announced his retirement in November after working all 30 years of his law enforcement career in Winfield. The retirement took effect officially March 4. “We have been pleased with how the process has moved along,” Barrett said. “We are comfortable with the manner in which the search has progressed.”