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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | ||||||
| 3 | congratulate Police Chief Schenita Stewart of the Evanston | ||||||
| 4 | Police Department on being selected as the 2025 Police Chief | ||||||
| 5 | of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police | ||||||
| 6 | (ILACP); and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart, along with her twin sister, | ||||||
| 8 | Commander Schonella Stewart of the Oak Park Police Department, | ||||||
| 9 | was raised in the City of Evanston's 5th Ward, where their | ||||||
| 10 | lives revolved around their home at 1924 Wesley Avenue and | ||||||
| 11 | other nearby neighborhood locations, including the Fleetwood | ||||||
| 12 | Jourdain Center, Family Focus, and Mt. Zion Baptist Church; | ||||||
| 13 | they attended Gale School on Howard Street and later graduated | ||||||
| 14 | from Evanston Township High School; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart received a bachelor's degree in | ||||||
| 16 | criminology from Illinois State University and a master's | ||||||
| 17 | degree in criminal justice from Chicago State University; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart began her 25-year career in law | ||||||
| 19 | enforcement as a patrol officer of the Lincolnwood Police | ||||||
| 20 | Department at the suggestion of her grandfather, William | ||||||
| 21 | Stewart, in 1999; she was eventually appointed deputy chief, a | ||||||
| 22 | position she held until 2021; during her more than 21-year | ||||||
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| 1 | tenure, she was the department's only Black police officer; | ||||||
| 2 | and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart proceeded to serve as deputy chief | ||||||
| 4 | of the East Dundee Police Department; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart was sworn in as chief of police of | ||||||
| 6 | the Evanston Police Department in October 2022, making history | ||||||
| 7 | in the process by becoming the department's first Black female | ||||||
| 8 | police chief; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart has not only made the Evanston | ||||||
| 10 | Police Department better, but she has also made the entire | ||||||
| 11 | Evanston community and the 13th District better due to her | ||||||
| 12 | guidance, dedication, and many talents; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart's commitment to officer well-being, | ||||||
| 14 | transparency, and community engagement has set a new standard | ||||||
| 15 | in policing, and her transformative, inspiring, and visionary | ||||||
| 16 | leadership has strengthened collaboration, trust, and | ||||||
| 17 | excellence among officers and the community; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart has received a number of accolades | ||||||
| 19 | since accepting the role of police chief, including being | ||||||
| 20 | named Instructor of the Year by the College of DuPage and the | ||||||
| 21 | Suburban Law Enforcement Academy; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Chief Stewart is the first woman to receive the | ||||||
| 2 | ILACP Police Chief of the Year award and the first permanent | ||||||
| 3 | female police chief to lead the Evanston Police Department; | ||||||
| 4 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 6 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Police | ||||||
| 7 | Chief Schenita Stewart of the Evanston Police Department on | ||||||
| 8 | being named the 2025 Police Chief of the Year by the Illinois | ||||||
| 9 | Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), and we thank her for | ||||||
| 10 | her service to the residents of Evanston and Cook County; and | ||||||
| 11 | be it further | ||||||
| 12 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 13 | presented to Chief Stewart, the Evanston Police Department, | ||||||
| 14 | and the City of Evanston as a symbol of our esteem and respect. | ||||||