New West Dundee police chief's top priority? Training department's next leaders.

Moving up the ranks in the West Dundee Police Department over the past two decades, Tony Gorski was quick to realize the importance of training, promoting and strengthening relationships internally.

After serving eight months as interim chief, Gorski was tapped this week to take on the position permanently. His top priority already is ensuring his department will be in good hands after he's gone.

"This is not focused around me," he said. "This is instead (about) preparing the next generation of leadership for the West Dundee Police Department, for them to one day take over the reins."

Gorski started as an Addison patrolman in 1987 and was hired nine years later in West Dundee. He eventually was promoted to sergeant, then lieutenant - a position he held until former Chief Andrew Wieteska retired in February.

Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said village leaders have been evaluating Gorski's performance since he assumed the temporary chief role.

"It is my belief and recommendation that it is in the community's best interest to remove the 'interim' tag from his title and formally promote him to police chief," Cavallaro said in a memo to the village board last week.

Gorski was sworn in Monday as Wieteska's permanent successor.

As a department leader, Gorski said he established "six pillars" for which officers should strive: dedication, accountability, respect, integrity, courage and honor.

He also is a strong advocate for frequent and consistent training on a wide range of topics, from tactical to medical to more specialized areas of expertise such as illegal drug use. The demands of the job are constantly changing, he said, making it all the more important for officers to keep up with trends and continue refining their skills.

West Dundee has 19 full-time and three part-time officers, who have been "performing admirably" on calls ranging from routine to critical, Gorski said. His goal is to maintain that level of service, collaboration and atmosphere within the department.

"What is one of the greatest things about being afforded this opportunity to lead the department on a permanent basis is that the village recognizes that we have some really talented people here," Gorski said. "They're willing to invest in them long term so they can rise up to the top position."