Carpentersville deputy chief will lead Round Lake force

After nearly three decades as one of their colleagues and leaders, Mike Gillette found it difficult Friday to say goodbye to the men and woman of the Carpentersville Police Department.

Making it perhaps a bit easier, though, was what stands on the other side of this weekend: reaching his lifetime ambition of serving as a police chief.

Gillette, Carpentersville's deputy chief before his resignation Friday, is taking over the top spot in the Round Lake Police Department beginning Monday, the realization of a goal he set out to achieve when he began his law enforcement career.

"Being a chief of police has been a calling of mine," he said. "I've worked with a lot of superior officers in my career and I've learned a lot from them. Now I believe I'm ready to lead a police force."

In Round Lake, Gillette will replace Cliffton Metaxa, who resigned in July 2009, giving only vague reasons to explain his decision to step down. Since then, Deputy Chief Francis Foy has served as interim chief for the 21-member force.

Round Lake Village President Jim Dietz said he Friday would not comment on Gillette's appointment until the village board makes it official on Monday.

Gillette brings with him about 30 years of law enforcement experience, the last 28 of them in Carpentersville, a Kane County community with a diverse population of about 37,400 residents. During his tenure he's served in nearly every capacity of a police department: patrol officer, patrol commander, SWAT commander, detective, evidence technician, accident investigator, training officer and finally, deputy chief, a post that placed him second-in-command.

Although becoming a chief has been a longtime goal, Gillette said he was selective when it came to pursuing openings. When he learned of the opportunity in Round Lake and researched the community, it felt like a good fit, he said.

"It's a lot like (Carpentersville)," he said. "It's a hardworking community that enjoys a rich history and has a lot of proud people who live there and want to make it better."

"It's very hard to leave Carpentersville," Gillette added. "This has been my home for more than 28 years. I know a lot of people here and I love them dearly."

Staff Writer Vince Pierri contributed to this report.