Interim chief will lead Roselle Police Department

The Village of Roselle's search for a new chief of police started with a process open to both internal and external candidates shortly after Chief Steve Herron announced his retirement.

After reviewing external candidates, the village did not find any candidates with more municipal policing experience or qualifications than what is currently present in the Roselle Police Department.

The hiring process will now shift to an internal assessment process of both Deputy Chief Shawn Kooistra and Deputy Chief Rob Barreto as chief of police candidates.

"I am continually impressed and proud of our Police Department," said Mayor David Pileski. "The shift towards focusing on our internal talent speaks not only to the abilities of our exceptional Deputy Chiefs, but also to the strength of our organization to develop future leaders."

The Village of Roselle will retain former Roselle Chief of Police Richard Eddington to serve as interim chief and assist with the assessment process.

Eddington began his career in law enforcement at the Roselle Police Department in 1974, later becoming chief of police in 1991. Since then, he has served as chief of police in Mount Prospect and Evanston and most recently served as interim chief in Kenilworth. Between his years of experience and his familiarity with the Roselle Police Department and with the community, Pileski said Eddington was a natural fit to act as interim chief.

"I look forward to returning to the community where my law enforcement career began," said Eddington.

Eddington will be retained as a consultant and will serve as interim chief for approximately 60-90 days, effective March 24. As interim chief, Eddington will assist the selection panel on its assessment of Deputy Chiefs Kooistra and Barreto by ensuring the evaluation is objective, connecting with all members of the Roselle Police Department to hear their feedback, and utilizing external resources to complete candidate leadership assessments.