Hayes sworn in as new deputy police chief in Arlington Hts.

Nathan Hayes, a 20-year veteran of the Arlington Heights police force, has been promoted to deputy chief.

Hayes, sworn in Tuesday night by Mayor Tom Hayes (not related), replaces longtime Deputy Chief Mike Hernandez, who retired last month.

He joined the police department in 1998 and has risen through the ranks, having been a patrol officer, gang crimes investigator, detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant, patrol commander and detective commander.

He's also director of the Major Case Assistance Team, a regional task force that investigates homicides in 21 Northwest suburban jurisdictions. Hayes joined the group in 2004 and became director in 2014.

His promotion comes amid other recent administrative turnover in the department, after the retirement in August of Deputy Chief Andrew Whowell, who was replaced by Mark Recker.

Nicholas Pecora is the third deputy chief in the department. All three report to Police Chief Gerald Mourning.