After serving as chief of the Streator Police Department since 2022, John Franklin announced his retirement from the department on Friday, with Deputy Chief Robert Wood set to serve as interim chief while city officials search for a permanent replacement.

Wood said Franklin’s impact on the department and community will continue to be felt even after his retirement.

“The officers and I enjoyed working with John and the Streator community really embraced him,” Wood said. “Based off what he taught me and the rest of the officers here, I think we’re going to be in a much better place going forward.”

Wood said the ongoing search for a new city manager in Streator could lengthen the timeline for selecting the city’s next police chief.

“With the process of finding a new city manager, it’ll take a bit longer to find the next chief,” Wood said.

However, Wood said that won’t stop the department from creating any forward momentum. As interim and hopefully the next permanent chief, Wood said he hopes to build on the foundation Franklin established at the department while also expanding in certain areas.

“I want to hit the ground running,” Wood said. “I think John and I did a good job together and I want to continue doing those things, plus I’d like to become more transparent with the public through social media long term and get the word out there.

“I will be grinding as much as I can in the short term until a decision is made.”

Mayor Tara Bedei said the retirement is in effect today and thanked Franklin for his years of service in a statement sent to Shaw Local on behalf of the city.

“On behalf of the city, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Franklin for his service to our community,” Bedei said. “As he enters retirement, we thank him for his leadership and commitment.”