Cmdr. Blevins leaving Carpentersville police after 25 years

Becoming a police chief has been a goal for Cmdr. Erman Blevins since his first day as a Carpentersville police officer 25 years ago.

After being chosen last week as the next police chief in Rantoul, a central Illinois village of about 13,000 people northeast of Champaign, Blevins is calling his new position "the perfect opportunity."

"I'm bringing my years of experience and training from Carpentersville to Rantoul to help them in any way I can," he said.

Rantoul's job opening came at the perfect time for Blevins; his sons recently moved out of the house, and he and his wife were looking to downsize.

And, he said, the position is something he's been preparing for his entire career.

"Always, always advance yourself," Blevins said of what he has learned during his time in Carpentersville. "Always seek opportunity and responsibility. Never slow down."

Carpentersville Police Chief Michael Kilbourne, who has worked alongside Blevins his entire career, said Blevins' experience makes him eminently qualified for a top spot among Rantoul police.

"As a police officer and a police executive, Erman has extremely strong tactical skills," he said. "He's able to think on his feet, and he's able to manage people well."

For the past year, Blevins has served as commander of records and administration, and before that, he was commander of investigations.

He has been involved with the department's SWAT team. And as a member of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System emergency service team, he was sent to Louisiana for 21 days in 2005 to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

His most fulfilling experiences, however, were from when he was a police detective, he said.

"Being a detective for years, and the cases I worked on and solved, and the people I helped - that was probably the most rewarding," Blevins said.

In 2012, he attended the FBI National Academy in Virginia, a professional development course for law enforcement leaders.

"We work to develop our command staff to be the leaders of tomorrow," Kilbourne said, noting that six Carpentersville officers have gone on to become police chiefs in the past 25 years. "Personally and as chief, I'm very proud of the achievements Erman has made here in our department."

Blevins will continue working in Carpentersville until mid-January and will start his new position Feb. 9, replacing Rantoul Police Chief Paul Farber.

Plans to replace Blevins are still in the early stages, Kilbourne said.

In 25 years, Blevins has learned from several people how to be a good cop. But most importantly, his experiences taught him how to work as a team, he said.

"There's this accumulative teamwork that we've always had here," Blevins said. "It's an amazing police department, and the citizens are well served here."