Wheeling chooses department veteran as town’s next top cop

A veteran officer with nearly three decades on the force will be Wheeling’s next police chief, village officials announced Tuesday.

Joseph Kopecky will become the town’s top cop effective Feb. 2, when he’ll be sworn in before the village board.

Kopecky has been with the Wheeling Police Department since 1997, serving as a patrol officer, investigator, commander and, most recently, as deputy chief since August.

He also helped the department obtain accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and coordinated the agency’s implementation of SAFE-T Act requirements.

“The Wheeling Police Department has always been committed to providing our residents the highest quality of service, and Chief Kopecky embodies that commitment,” Village President Patrick Horcher said in Tuesday’s announcement.

The appointment comes after a tumultuous 10 months for the police department, after rank-and-file officers in March issued a vote of no confidence in then-Chief Jamie Dunne and Deputy Chief Al Steffen.

Officers at the time accused Dunne of undermining department readiness by cutting training, improperly changing the department’s field training program, misusing funds and discouraging officers from taking overtime pay.

A month later, officers appeared before the village board asking for that the elected leaders remove Dunne and Steffen.

Dunne, who had planned to retire in July, rejected those calls and both Horcher and Village Manager Jon Sfondilis initially voiced support for him.

But five days after officers appeared before the board, Sfondilis placed Dunne on paid leave until his retirement date. Steffen formally retired Jan. 1.

Former Wheaton Police Chief Bill Murphy has been serving as interim chief in Wheeling since June.

“Joe has consistently demonstrated the professionalism and leadership necessary to lead this department into the future,” interim Murphy said Tuesday of Kopecky’s appointment. “I'm confident the department and the residents of Wheeling are in excellent hands.”