New Joliet Police Chief Malec brings a woman’s point of view, and a patrol officer’s perspective, too

Having women in leadership should set a tone for a police department more open to the community, Joliet’s first female police chief said in an interview.

Chief Dawn Malec was joined in the interview this week by two of her command staff, Deputy Chief Sherrie Blackburn and Deputy Chief Robert Brown.

All three have been sending a message during a turbulent time for police that the Joliet department intends to be more open and build better relationships with the community.

Malec and Blackburn, the first female deputy chief, reenforced that message during the interview when asked what it means to have women in charge at the police department for the first time.

Malec, a veteran of the department’s patrol division where she had spent her career since becoming a police officer in Joliet in 1994, said female officers generally are viewed as less threatening.

“There are times when you approach a scene and you will feel a deescalation,” she said.

But Malec said her perspective as chief also is influenced by her lengthy experience in in the patrol division, which, she noted, is the biggest division in the police force.

“I think that brings a different perspective not only from a female point of view but also having worked on the front lines,” she said.

The new command staff is still getting itself established, Malec said. But she plans to inspire confidence in the community by holding police officers accountable while also keeping faith with the officers through improved communication and consistent application of policy.

Malec hopes to begin community outreach at neighborhood meetings, something that may have to wait until COVID-19 restrictions ease up. But she noted that invitations to visit with neighborhood groups via Zoom have arrived.

As to past clashes between police department, city hall, the mayor and the city council, Malec hopes all that is gone for now.

“It’s a new administration,” she said. “It’s a new city manager. The council elections are in April. We’ll see what the council brings. We are looking to build bridges.”

The new group of deputy chiefs, including Carlos Matlock, deputy chief of investigations, introduced themselves to the City Council on Tuesday, delivering the same message of building bonds with the community.

“We plan on opening up the police department,” Brown told the council.

Just how that gets done remains to be seen.

Brown, deputy chief of operations, said during the interview at the police station that there are times “when we really have to work at building bridges with the community.” And, this is such a time.

“2020 was a bad year,” he said. “The George Floyd case really hurt law enforcement. In my opinion, it set us back 20 years.”

Still, the chief and deputy chiefs believe Joliet police have largely maintained a good relationship with the community.

Blackburn, deputy chief of administration, has been part of the department’s Neighborhood-Oriented Policing Team for 10 of her 20 years in the department.

“I do feel that we have a good relationship, and the groundwork is there,” she said of the police-community dynamic.

Using NOPT methods – problem-solving, interaction and approachability – will help, Blackburn said.

Having women in police leadership should help too, she said, adding that studies show the public tends to respond differently to female police.

“We see things differently,” Blackburn said. “For some, we are more approachable.”