Huntley's new police chief coming from Downers Grove
Huntley soon will have a new police chief replacing Chief John Perkins, who is retiring Sept. 30 after serving 10 years with the village.
Robert Porter, police chief in Downers Grove and past president of the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association, will succeed Perkins, who previously served with the Aurora Police Department for 30 years, the last two years as deputy chief.
Under Perkins' leadership, the Huntley Police Department earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2010 and 2013. The department also transitioned from a small community force to "a highly-regarded and respected law enforcement agency with programs, such as the Citizen Police Academy, Community Response Team, Domestic Violence Assistance Program, and the award-winning L.E.A.D. the Way drug awareness and life skills program," Village Manager David Johnson said.
The village board is expected to approve Porter's contract Sept. 24. He will receive a $135,000 salary, not including health and police pension benefits.
Porter has more than 28 years experience with the Downers Grove Police Department, where he has served as chief the past 15 years.
He starts Oct. 12 in Huntley where he will be leading a department of 35 sworn officers and four civilian employees serving a population of more than 26,000.
"Huntley is a great community," Porter said in a news release. "I look forward to being active in the community and enhancing outreach programs. I still love being a police officer and believe that police work is still an incredibly noble profession. It will be my honor to serve as Huntley's next police chief."
It was a highly sought-after position with 46 applicants from throughout the country vying to be the next chief. Village officials went through an exhaustive interview process over the summer, Johnson said.
"The quality of the candidates was outstanding," Johnson said. "Chief Porter from the beginning really demonstrated what we thought was a high energy level. He thinks it's important to be an ambassador to the community in the role of police chief. His law enforcement experience speaks for itself."
What set Porter apart as a candidate was "his strong passion for staff development really being an advocate for the officers," Johnson added.
Porter has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in public safety administration from Lewis University. He also is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command and the FBI National Academy, and is certified through the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
Porter dealt with challenging budget issues at the Downers Grove Police Department after Sept. 11, 2001, and the 2008 economic downturn and ensuing recession. "He's had to make difficult decisions," Johnson said.
His experience dealing with policing larger institutions in Downers Grove, such as a major hospital and two high schools, also was a key consideration for his appointment considering Huntley's burgeoning growth with a new hospital under construction and a high school soon approaching 3,000 students, he added.