Mayor David Pileski will appoint Roselle Police Department Deputy Chief Rob Barreto to the role of Chief of Police at the June 12 Village Board meeting. Barreto will fill the vacancy left by former Chief Steve Herron, who retired on March 23, 2023 after 11 years in the role.
The Village of Roselle initially focused on internal and external candidates for the Chief of Police role but later pivoted to an internal-only assessment of the department’s two Deputy Chiefs. The Village retained Richard Eddington as Interim Chief to lead the department and work with Village Administrator Jason Bielawski to guide the Police Chief Selection Committee, comprised of Mayor Pileski, Trustee Lee Trejo, and now-former Trustee Bruce Berkshire, in the assessment of both internal candidates. Before being sworn in as Chief of Police, Barreto will first be appointed Interim Chief effective May 30 in accordance with Eddington’s final day in the role.
Barreto has spent the entirety of his 26 year career in law enforcement with the Roselle Police Department, starting in 1997 as a patrol officer.
“Roselle has always been my second home. The people here are terrific and really support the police. I have loved being in town the last 26 years and watching Roselle grow,” said Barreto.
Over the course of his career, Barreto has served as a D.A.R.E. officer, led department training in defensive tactics, firearms, and field training, taught active threat preparedness to local schools and businesses, and been an active part of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS), spending eight years on the Mobile Field Force and six years on the Emergency Services Team.
Barreto was promoted to Sergeant in 2015 and was appointed Training and Education Sergeant in 2020. In January of 2022, Barreto was promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations, where his primary responsibilities were to oversee the Patrol Division, Community Service Officers, and staffing in addition to supervising the sergeants responsible for the squad car fleet and field training.
“The power of the police department is the people, and we have the best people in Illinois. The officers we hire put their lives on the line every day and are all around good people,” said Barreto. “I am proud of our department and I am excited for the opportunity to lead as Chief of Police.”
Barreto will be sworn in as Chief of Police at the Village Board meeting on Monday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m.
“I am proud of the Roselle Police Department and am excited to be able to promote from within to continue our strong history of community policing,” said Mayor Pileski. “Rob brings extensive understanding of Roselle, the department and a contagious passion for public service that will be a beacon for others to match.”