Retired deputy, ex-county board member face off for DuPage sheriff’s job
A self-described reformer and a retired deputy who wants to rebuild trust with the community are vying to replace James Mendrick as DuPage County sheriff.
Mendrick, chose not to seek a third term as sheriff, instead opting for an ultimately unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for governor.
Aiming to be his successor are Republican Sean Noonan of Elmhurst and Democrat Peter Coolidge of West Chicago.
Noonan is a former DuPage County Board member and current police officer with the Oakbrook Terrace Police Department. He previously worked for the Western Springs, Bloomingdale and Addison police departments.
Coolidge spent nearly 28 years with the sheriff’s office, before retiring as a deputy in 2024. He served in the office’s in corrections, law enforcement and court security divisions.
The sheriff’s office patrols and investigates crime in unincorporated areas of the county. It also operates the county jail, provides security at count courthouses, serves warrants and summonses, conducts judicial sales such as foreclosures, performs evictions and operates a forensics laboratory.
In response to a Daily Herald questionnaire, Noonan said he wants to improve leadership and morale in the office, which is authorized to have up to 505 employees. He also hopes to strengthen relationships with municipal police agencies.
Calling himself a reformer, Noonan said the office is in “dire need” of new leadership. He defeated Mendrick-backed Undersheriff Eddie Moore in the Republican primary.
Noonan said public safety would be his first priority, followed by recruiting and retention of employees. He said there’s been burnout among employees and slower response times due to not having proper staffing.
Coolidge said trust between the community and law enforcement has eroded and to help rebuild it he wants to make sure license-plate reader technology is used responsibly. He said he wants to ensure there are adequate resources and pay for officers, including mental health resources, to improve staffing. He also supports offering mental health assistance for people experiencing a crisis, “not just handcuffs.”
Preventing gun violence should be a top goal of the sheriff’s office, Coolidge said, and to that end he would expand free gun-safety and safe-storage training. He also wants to create special teams to take on domestic and sexual violence.
Noonan and Coolidge both support the continuation of the office’s work with JUST of DuPage, which provides educational, therapeutic and spiritual programs for jail detainees.
ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com