Friday, December 12 will mark the end of an era for Macomb Police Department Chief Jeff Hamer when he retires from his law enforcement career after 24 years and moves into a private sector role.
While Hamer is leaving his 'bat phone' (his chief-issued cell phone) behind in his corner office at 120 S. McArthur St., he's not leaving law enforcement entirely as beginning Jan. 5, he'll be working from home for Power DMS (Document Management Services), a company that provides software to city governments and law enforcement agencies.
'Everything really lined up,' he shared. 'I wasn't really thinking about retiring, but then the private sector came knocking and I was the right age and had the number of years to retire. I love doing what I'm doing and thought I'd do it another five years, but then this opportunity came up.
'And really every time the 'bat phone' would ring, my heart rate would go up because the calls coming to the phone weren't usually good calls,' Hamer added.
'That's a pretty good indicator of job stress, and after talking with my wife, I felt like the time was right for me and my family.'
Hamer joined the Macomb Police Department in 2001, and was named chief in July 2023, after serving as the interim chief for four months prior.
His first day leading the department was something most chiefs in small, rural communities don't typically experience: a shooting at a college house party that left one man dead. He still wanted to lead the department, but was left questioning if he was going to be good enough.
'What made me really want to do the job was the people here. There's a really great team of officers here,' he said. 'You don’t go into a job expecting these critical incidents to happen, seemingly one after the other – the house party, Terrell Miller's death, officers getting shot. When my chief friends said I had the roughest few years of any other chief they've known, I have to think maybe I was here for a reason.'
The MPD veteran, who hails from Bolingbrook, is a Western Illinois University graduate who has called Macomb home for 29 years. And it's where he and his wife, Tonya, a Spanish teacher at Macomb High School, will continue to call home even after he hangs up his duty belt Friday.
'I love the community and I really did fall in love with it before I graduated from Western, and the people are a big part of that.
That will never change,' he told The Community News Brief in an earlier interview.
'I had such a connection with the community and that's why we chose to remain here and invest in Macomb. My first job was a jailer under the late Sheriff Stan Carman, and I credit working in that role and under Stan for my success.
That job taught me that I didn't need a weapon to be a good officer - I needed my mind, my words and my heart, so that job set the course for my career.'
The Hamers also raised their children, Jack and Liberty (Libby), in Macomb, so for their family, Macomb is truly their hometown, he added. Jack and Libby are currently attending college at Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan, respectively. While the support of his family has been crucial to his success – and his well-being – as an officer and then as an administrator, Hamer was quick to say it has been Tonya's steadfast support that has kept him going – and always striving to do the right thing – over the years.
'Tonya is an awesome spouse. She has always been my sounding board and helps navigate my moral compass,' Hamer said.
'Anything that is good about me, she had a definite hand in and has always provided that back-up. The whole time we've been married, I've been a cop. I think she's really interested in Jeff not the cop.'
Besides taking on a new role in the private sector, Hamer said he plans to 'unwind' and find out who he is away from the job.
He'll continue to be involved as a Big Brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Macomb (Hamer and his Little, Lukus, have been matched for seven years); help Tonya with MHS Swim Team events – she coaches the girls' and boys' teams; follow his kids' activities – Jack's ISU Marching Band and Libby's IWU Swim Team - continue with Morning Rotary, and hang out with Rosey, the family's relatively new adopted pooch from the McDonough County Animal Shelter.
'I've had friends who retired from law enforcement give me some advice, basically mind your own business. Don't text your colleagues from the department, don't stop in. This job is so identity centric, you have to recalibrate who you are because you're used to doing a job where you were either hated or loved for who you were,' Hamer pointed out. 'Just making some time for myself will be nice as that hasn't been a priortity.'
While the job has had some incredibly difficult points throughout the years, Hamer also points out the many positives, including those he worked hard to implement during his time at the department's helm.
Coming into the job, he was already the department's accreditation manager, so he was able to see the department through the accreditation process, making MPD the 12th department – and one of the smaller departments – in the state to achieve accreditation.
He was also committed to the national 30x30 pledge, which challenges police departments to increase female law enforcement staff 30 percent by 2030. He did that, and has tried to work tirelessly to hire more minority recruits. It was also essential for him to ensure a positive presence in the community, for both himself and his officers, and that his officers treated others with dignity and respect.
'Having a positive presence outside of every day policing is crucial. That means being an active, positive presence in our community,' he stressed.
'I think I instilled that in the department, along with something that started with Curt (Barker) and continued with Jerel (Jones) that focused on our officers' wellness. You have to have a healthy work-life balance.
I've been fortunate to have a really good group of officers who are plugged into, and care about, the community.'
Hamer is also proud that he further leveraged the skills and social services background that Community Service Officer (CSO) Sally Vigezzi brought to her role at the department about five years ago. By giving her 'free reign' really helped build bridges and forge connections throughout the community, he added. And when Hamer walks out the door at 120 S. McArthur St. for the last time Friday, Lt.
Todd Tedrow, who has been named interim chief, will take over.
The public is invited to Hamer's retirement celebration from 3-5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 12 at The Penny on Macomb's Downtown Square.
'I hope I'm remembered for making a difference because that's what I tried really hard to do,' Hamer said. 'I had people who I've met over the years, some in not-so-good situations, and what I did made an impact, or helped them out of a situation. We can police and still treat people with dignity and respect. I believe that 99 percent of police work is compassion, respect and empathy for others, and I hope that that's the legacy I've left that carries on. I have lived to serve.'
