Chet Epperson
Director and AELE President
Chief Epperson has over 38-years of professional policing. Chief Epperson served over 30-years with the Rockford, Illinois Police Department and 10 of those years as chief of police. Chief Epperson involved himself with progressive police initiatives such as, community policing, police reforms, and contemporary policing practices. He held experience in every rank of the organization: deputy chief, lieutenant, sergeant, patrol officer, and police cadet. Assignments included operations, personnel, administration, compliance, and technological advancement. The following are some of his major reform initiatives:
For the past 4 years, Chief Epperson has been employed as police practice consultant providing court-appointed expertise in police agency Federal District Court Consent Decrees. Chief Epperson serves as an expert in applying Constitutional Standards, State Law, policy, and practice to police and jail incidents. Specialized focus on assessment of police use of force, officer-involved shootings, conducting investigations of police misconduct, policy review, analysis of data, audits of internal affairs, review of police reports.
Instructs courses on police use of force, internal affairs, and discipline. Frequently performs police management assessments on staffing, operations, policy, auditing, investigations, and training. Experience includes deposition and trial testimony. Areas of police practice expertise include: Police officer-involved shootings, use of force, jail use of force, internal affairs, supervision, training, practice and policy, discipline, mental health, auditing, and staffing analysis.
Chief Epperson holds an MBA from Rockford University. Chief Epperson is a member of the Illinois Chiefs Association, International Association of Chiefs Association, National Association Civilian Oversight, and the Police Executive Research Forum.
- Worked closely with the Mayor, City Council, City Staff, community, and numerous outside law enforcement agencies in a collaborative method to address crime reduction.
- Awarded initial Accreditation on Commission on Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2009. Re-Accreditation in 2011 and 2014. Comply with over 450 policing standards, such as personnel, operations, risk management, evidence & property, staff development, use of force and racial profiling.
- Implemented a Constitutional Policing Force Accountability Management process – policy, training, audits, mediation, open complaint process, and reviews of force incidents. Used contemporary technology to monitor and track agency uses of force. Police use of force incidents and excessive force complaints dramatically reduced over the years as chief of police.
- Led effective organizational reform and community policing efforts, which has increased public trust and confidence. Organizational changes made without outside litigation and court-ordered direction. Implemented a Police Chief’s Advisory Board, Youth Police Academy, Police-Clergy Dialogue and Citizen’s Police Academy to engage the community in effective problem-solving, strengthened relationships and transparency.
- Implemented an Early Intervention System to monitor police-related performance and risk management issues.
- Provided leadership in the implementation of the Winnebago County – Boone County Integrity Task Force. Task Force purpose is to provide a neutral third-party investigation of officer-involved shootings, serious uses of force, and other investigations warranting an independent investigation.
- Led in the formation and implementation of the Winnebago County Violent Crime Task Force. Task Force comprised of Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Agencies and concentrates on intelligence, investigations, street-level enforcement, and public review of work. Public Quarterly meetings provided to Chief Elected Officials and the public.
- Implemented a COMPSTAT process for crime deployment and accountability and effectively used crime analysis for operational, tactical, and strategic decision making.
- Implemented National Incident Based Crime Reporting (NIBRS) process and reported crime data directly to the FBI.
For the past 4 years, Chief Epperson has been employed as police practice consultant providing court-appointed expertise in police agency Federal District Court Consent Decrees. Chief Epperson serves as an expert in applying Constitutional Standards, State Law, policy, and practice to police and jail incidents. Specialized focus on assessment of police use of force, officer-involved shootings, conducting investigations of police misconduct, policy review, analysis of data, audits of internal affairs, review of police reports.
Instructs courses on police use of force, internal affairs, and discipline. Frequently performs police management assessments on staffing, operations, policy, auditing, investigations, and training. Experience includes deposition and trial testimony. Areas of police practice expertise include: Police officer-involved shootings, use of force, jail use of force, internal affairs, supervision, training, practice and policy, discipline, mental health, auditing, and staffing analysis.
Chief Epperson holds an MBA from Rockford University. Chief Epperson is a member of the Illinois Chiefs Association, International Association of Chiefs Association, National Association Civilian Oversight, and the Police Executive Research Forum.