Metra today announced that it has hired Joseph M. Perez, a decorated 28-year veteran of the Illinois State Police Department with a diverse service record, to serve as chief of the Metra Police Department and lead its transformation into a modern, efficient and effective force.
Chief Perez was most recently the Commander of the State Police Region 1, where he oversaw complex law enforcement activities and nearly 800 sworn officers and civilians in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and DeKalb counties. As a Command Officer for 14 years, he supervised patrol, investigative and specialty units, managed the training of rookie troopers and planned the safety and security for several events, including the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago.
His hiring is a major step in Metra’s commitment to reform and modernize the Metra Police Department. That process began in late 2012, when Metra hired Hillard Heintze, a nationally recognized law-enforcement advisory firm, to perform an in-depth assessment of the department’s operations and capabilities and provide assistance in adopting best practices in railroad public safety. Chief Perez will be responsible for using the Hillard Heintze report, which Metra released earlier this year, to reform the department. His salary is $161,066.
“I am confident that Chief Perez is the right man for the job,” said Metra Executive Director/CEO Don Orseno. “He has the experience and background we need to transform the department so that it is better prepared to ensure the safety and security of riders, staff, assets and infrastructure.”
Chief Perez started with the State Police as a trooper in 1986 and steadily rose through the ranks. As a trooper he served on the State Police SWAT team, supervised the district fleet vehicles and investigated auto thefts, serving for two years as a special agent on a Lake County Auto Theft Task Force, a multijurisdictional covert auto theft investigations unit.
As a sergeant and master sergeant from 2000-2004, he worked on a special enforcement team that concentrated on combating gangs and drugs in high-crime areas. He also served as a supervisor of all field training officers and of all aspects of probationary trooper training. From 2004-2006, he was the General Criminal Squad supervisor, managing the special agents who investigated violent and felony crime in the Chicago area.
From 2006 to 2009, he was the director of the North Central Narcotics Task Force, responsible for the investigative, administrative and financial operations of a multijurisdictional, 25-man covert unit that carried out narcotics investigations in multiple Chicago area counties.
As a lieutenant from 2009 to 2011, he served as the operations officer of the State Police Executive Protection Unit, which is responsible for protective details of constitutional officers and manages the support and protection of visiting dignitaries. In 2010, he was promoted to commander of the unit.
In 2012, he was named captain of District 15, which covers the State Toll Highway Authority. He was responsible for all administrative, patrol and investigative operations of the district, the largest in Illinois. He was also responsible for developing and managing a $28.7 million operating budget in FY2013.
In September 2013, he was named major/commander of Region 1.
Chief Perez also has served on the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force Board of Directors, the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Executive Board, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Illinois State Police Rifle Committee, the McHenry County Terrorism Planning Committee and the Illinois State Police Glock Transition Team.
From 1990 to 2009, he was an instructor in criminal law, search and seizure, officer safety and firearms at the State Police Academy.
Chief Perez has received numerous awards and recognitions and has attended a wide variety of educational and professional development workshops. He is active in several police associations, including the National Governors Security Association, the International Association of the Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
Chief Perez lives in McHenry. He has been married for 24 years and has three children.