For nearly 30 years, Bryan Carlson served on the Kenilworth Police Department in several roles but now the veteran officer is taking the top spot with his promotion to chief.
“It means the world to me,” Carlson said. “I’ve tried to get to this position since 1995. I’ve been working my way up the ranks and this is the pinnacle of my law enforcement career.”
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With fellow officers, friends, family and representatives of many neighboring police departments in attendance, Carlson was sworn in March 6 by Village President Cecily Kaz as the new police chief.
“He really knows our community, he has worked his way up the ranks,” Kaz said before the ceremony. “He has taken on many positions. We are thrilled as he is going to shepherd us into the next phase of Kenilworth policing.”
Born and raised in Lake Forest, Carlson said he was always interested in law enforcement leading to him studying criminology in college.
With a desire to remain on the North Shore, Carlson applied to work in Kenilworth and was hired on in 1995.
“It’s a small town and a family-like atmosphere,” Carlson said. “I enjoy getting to know everybody and I know most of the residents by their first name. I know their kids, their pets and the cars they drive. I really enjoy it.”
Carlson was a sergeant in the village’s department and sought out the top role following last September’s retirement of chief David Miller.
According to the village, there were nearly 30 applications to become chief, with village officials eventually promoting Carlson to lead a department that when fully staffed has eight sworn officers for a village with an approximate population of 2,500 people.
Emphasizing many police departments are facing the same tests, Carlson said there is a challenge today to recruit officers.
“We are willing to take anybody and anyone who fits with us,” Carlson said. “Not every candidate fits with us as some people want a lot of action and activity and other things you can get involved with and that is not what we offer here. If you are looking for small town policing, we might be a good fit.”
Carlson acknowledges nationwide police are facing public relations issues, but that is the not the case locally.
“Thankfully in Kenilworth they love the police,” he said. “We are in different situation where they actually enjoy our services and that is refreshing.”
Carlson said another issue that he faces are the measures involving the state’s SAFE-T Act and some of its provisions including body camera use by officers. The act has yet to be implemented following a ruling by a Kankakee County judge that the state is appealing.
“That is going to be a new caveat to what we do here. We need to explore vendors and how that operates and how we store all that data,” Carlson said.
Finally, Carlson said there are officers still investigating the notorious 1966 murder of Valerie Percy and he would like to get a resolution to the case after nearly 60 years.
“We would love to give the victim’s family closure,” he said.
After Miller retired last fall, former Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington was hired in an interim capacity as village officials sought a permanent replacement.
Eddington labeled Kenilworth as a “refreshing” place to work.
“The dedication the men and women of the police department have to the community is really outstanding,” he said.
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With Carlson now in charge, Eddington is off the force. He doesn’t rule out taking another interim role if offered.
“If the phone rings,” he said. “We will see what happens. But if something doesn’t come up, that is fine too.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.