Joliet police plan to create digital crime fighter post

The Joliet City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to create the new job of digital forensic crime analyst.

Joliet officials have said they already are talking with one of the top people in the field who is interested in the job. But the position will be posted for applicants before it is filled.

Police Chief William Evans said he believes the job will pay somewhere between $105,000 and $120,000. However, a job description provided to the council does not list a salary range.

The analysts’s duties will include examining electronic data, including video from police cameras and data from license plate readers, to assist police in their criminal investigations and to provide testimony in court.

Evans said he has detectives who do that kind of work now but it takes time away from their investigations.

“The problem is with the shortage of detectives we’re pulling people out of the field and off their cases to do phone dumping and other technical things,” Evans said.

He described the the prospect being considered for the job as “literally a national expert” but would not identify him.

“We haven’t made an offer to him,” Evans said.

The job was discussed briefly at the Monday pre-council meeting and in more detail two weeks ago, when City Manager Beth Beatty expressed support for the position.

Beatty also said she had met with the person being considered for the job.

“He’s very impressive,” Beatty told the council on Aug. 5. “I think it would be huge for the police department.”

The job is not in the city’s 2025 budget.

But the budget does include 24 patrol positions that are now vacant, according to a staff memo on the job. The city would use funds allotted for two of those patrol positions to pay for a digital forensic crime analyst.

The council’s Public Safety Committee has recommended approval for the position.

“It’s going to help alleviate a lot of work for our detectives,” committee Chairman Joe Clement said Monday.