Joliet Names First Female Interim Police Chief
The city of Joliet has named lieutenant Dawn Malec as the new interim police chief. Malec is the first woman to ever hold the chief position in the Joliet Police Department. She began her career with the Joliet Police Department in 1994 as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks to sergeant in 2009 and lieutenant in 2014.
“I am confident Dawn will continue to serve the City of Joliet as interim police chief with the same just and capable leadership that has been a hallmark of her 26 years of service to the department,” stated city manager Jim Capparelli. “I am looking forward to working with her in the coming months,” he continued.
Malec earned a master’s degree in public safety administration from Lewis University, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Governors State University and an associate degree from Richard J. Daley College. She is also a 2013 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command program. WJOL has been told that Malec will be considered for the job on a permanent basis but that no final decisions have been made. The chief of police job became open when Al Roechner announced his retirement on Friday after negotiations with interim City Manager Jim Hock.
