By the time Bill Evans retires next month, he will have been the longest serving chief of the Joliet Police Department in more than seven years.

In the past 50 years, the late Fred Breen still holds the title of the longest-serving police chief. Breen had served in that role for 17 years before he retired in 1988.

Breen was followed by two successors from Chicago, Dennis Nowicki and Joseph Beazley. After Beazley retired in 1999, the city stuck to a pattern of internal hires that remained unbroken until Evans was hired in 2022.

After Evans retires in May 28, Robert Brown, a deputy chief who’s been with the department since 2000, will serve as the interim police chief.

The city plans to conduct a “comprehensive search” for the next chief and will consider internal and external candidates. Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy was quoted in a city statement saying it is “important that we take a thoughtful and inclusive approach.”

City spokeswoman Sydney Thompson said on Wednesday the process will be open to all qualified candidates and the city anticipates posting the job opening for the police chief soon.

“The search will not be limited geographically—internal, regional, and national candidates will all be welcome to apply,” Thompson said.

Most of the previous police chiefs were in their mid-to-late 40s when they were hired and they retired in their 50s. Evans was 55 when he was hired and he will turn 60 this year.

Nowicki, a former Chicago police captain, was chosen as an outside hire in 1989 following a nationwide search for a candidate who could tackle the city’s gang problems, according to Chicago Tribune articles.

Beazley was another Chicago police captain who succeeded Nowicki.

The two former chiefs had initiated neighborhood-oriented policing in Joliet as a way to proactively reduce crime. The department still has a Neighborhood-Oriented Policing Team.

When Beazley retired in 1999, the late John Mezera, then the city manager, searched for an internal candidate after finding there was “adequate talent within the department,” according a Herald-News article.

David Gerdes, a department veteran, was chosen as Beazley’s successor in 1999. Gerdes was followed by Fred Hayes, Mike Trafton, Brian Benton and Al Roechner.

Roechner’s tenure as police chief was one of the shortest but it led to the most politically tumultuous period for the department in the past decade.

Roechner and the department’s police supervisors union would clash with former Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk and his allies over several issues, including disciplinary matters involving police officers.

After Roechner retired in 2021, Jim Capparelli, who was backed by O’Dekirk to become city manager, chose Dawn Malec as Roechner’s successor. She was the first female police chief in the department’s history.

But Capparelli had issues with Malec and he said he had an “adversarial” relationship with the department. Capparelli fired Malec but learned she could only return to her former rank of lieutenant. She later sued Capparelli and received a $100,000 settlement from the city.

In 2022, Capparelli hired Evans, a former Cook County sheriff’s lieutenant, to lead the department.

Before Evans took the reins, Shaw Local learned Evans had a personal relationship with the attorney for a union that represents Joliet police officers. The attorney decided to recuse herself from future assignments with the city’s police union in response to Evans’ hire as chief.

After several months on the job, Evans said he believes one of the reasons he and the command staff were “brought in” was to “create a level of stability” and move the police department “forward in a positive direction.”

Last year, Evans told the Joliet City Council of declines in the number of homicides and shootings, as well as high clearance rate in homicide investigations. Evans has credited technology, proactive policing and community involvement.

City officials on Tuesday said Evans brought “steady leadership” to the department.

“Under his leadership, the department has continued to strengthen its commitment to transparency, accountability, and building trust with residents across Joliet,” city officials said.