Maple Park picks new police chief to take over in May

Maple Park trustees chose one of their own, Sgt. Tony Ayala, to take over when police Chief Mike Acosta retires in May.

Ayala, 54, has worked for Maple Park for 2½ years and has 20 years of law enforcement experience as an officer at Northern Illinois University.

Ayala earned his bachelor's degree from NIU and worked as an outreach worker at the Ogle County jail for people with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses before becoming a sworn officer. Part of Ayala's duties there were to help people transition to a residential setting.

"I found I had a knack for speaking with people and being around people," he said. "A lot of times, there's signs that you see on a person (with mental illness) and you have to recognize how to handle that stuff."

Ayala has worked part time in Maple Park. He will retire from NIU in May.

Ayala said he felt like he knew Acosta for 30 years when he first started in Maple Park and he wants to continue the department's community policing efforts, such as "Drop-In" nights on Fridays and Saturdays at the police department.

"We had the same vision and philosophy about policing and community policing," said Ayala, who thanked residents, trustees and other village leaders Tuesday for their warm reception during his employment and since his appointment. "I strongly believe in the value of partnerships and collaboration in order to achieve large-scale, communitywide goals," Ayala added.

Acosta, chief since December 2009, has served in law enforcement since 1976, including 31 years with the Kane County sheriff's department.

"(Ayala) will be good for the community," said Acosta, whose last day is May 14.