Rockford says farewell to pillar of law enforcement community

As a police officer of 43 years, Dominic Iasparro carried a gun most of his life, but those who knew him well say he fought crime best using empathy and sympathy.

Iasparro had a gift for making anyone he spoke with feel at ease — whether it was a nervous young patrol officer, the victim of a crime, a detective tackling a heinous crime scene or even a suspect sitting on the other side of the table, said Kurt Whisenand, the Winnebago County Emergency Services and Disaster coordinator and retired Rockford Police Department deputy chief.

Many times when situations were at their bleakest and most painful, Iasparro would put a calming hand on an officer's shoulder and he or she would know there was still hope, Whisenand said.

"We had police officers murdered, we had police officers shot, we had some horrible murder investigations and he was at the center of all that," Whisenand said. "He was just a pillar of strength for the people who worked for him and with him."

Iasparro died Sunday. He was 73. The former Rockford Police deputy chief and chief of detectives for the Winnebago County Sheriff's department leaves behind a legion of brothers and sisters in law enforcement for whom Iasparro was a trusted leader, mentor and friend.

"He had a way of bringing out the best in people," Whisenand said. "His influence on law enforcement in the region cannot be overstated."

Police work, family

A 1967 graduate of Rockford West High School, Iasparro's career in law enforcement spanned more than four decades.

He began as a Rockford Police Department patrol officer in December 1971. He rose through the ranks and was promoted to detective in 1979, and in 1987 was named supervisor of Metro Narcotics, a combined city-county anti-drug operation. Less than a year later, he was named sergeant in the detective bureau before eventually becoming deputy chief of operations in 1993.

He retired from the Rockford Police Department after serving as interim chief in 2005 and 2006, leaving to lead the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department's detective bureau until retiring again in 2014.

Those who knew him say Iasparro lived for two things: police work and his family.

Visitation is planned Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Road.

Another visitation is planned at 9 a.m. Friday until the funeral service begins at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4401 Highcrest Road.

Had 'sixth sense'

Iasparro followed his father, a Winnebago County detective, into law enforcement

He seemed born to be a detective, not only because of his wisdom but his savvy, too, said retired Rockford Police Lt. Steve Pirages, who came up through the ranks alongside Iasparro.

One time in 1989, Iasparro spotted a man in a diner wearing a fake mustache and instantly suspected the man was plotting a bank robbery. Iasparro and other detectives having lunch followed the man and with the help of the FBI were able to arrest him for a Wisconsin bank robbery. And the man told detectives he was indeed planning to rob a bank in Rockford.

"Dominic just had a sixth sense," Pirages said. "He was a savvy guy, and he is going to be missed, that is for sure."

Iasparro was highly organized. He had a sort of ritual that he performed at the start and finish of each shift: He would straighten up the roll call room, put chairs in their proper places and make sure all the tables were clean. He would check the holding cells to make sure they were in order and that the handcuffs for each cell were there and ready.

"When you went to him with a question or advice, he always seemed to have the right answers," Pirages said. "People sought him out for his advice. I am sure he was wrong once, but I am struggling to think of when that was. ... He set high standards not only for the people who worked with him but also for himself."

Missed the job

Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana worked with Iasparro as a young patrol officer when Iasparro was a sergeant.

When Caruana was elected sheriff in 2014, he asked Iasparro to come back to police work again.

"Due to his great knowledge and experience, I brought Dominic back to work cold cases," Caruana said in an email to the Rockford Register Star. "Dominic was a great man, a respected leader, passionate and dedicated to his family and this county."

Rockford Park District Police Chief Theo Glover also worked with Iasparro for years.

Like the others, Glover said Iasparro had a way of teaching by example.

"Respect went both ways," Glover said. "Even the bad guys respected him because of the ability he had to talk to people ... whether they are bad guys or good guys. He had that calming effect on people."

'Nice job, kid'

Iasparro was a deputy chief of operations when now Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd joined the department in 1998. She remembers spotting Iasparro straightening up the roll call room about 4 a.m.

"When you did a good job, he was known for printing off a report or making a copy of a report that you did and he would write on the report, 'nice job kid,' or 'great job on this investigation,' things of that nature," Redd said.

Federal Judge Philip Reinhard was Winnebago County State's Attorney when Iasparro was working his way through the police ranks.

Reinhard not only knew Iasparro for 50 years. He knew Iasparro's father, a detective with the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department.

Reinhard said he considered Iasparro to be one of the most respected public officials he had ever encountered.

"He was informed, knew what he was talking about, was always honest in his dealings with you and the public," Reinhard said. "He was just a very fine, dedicated public servant."

Jeff Kolkey can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Dominic Iasparro, 73, had 43-year career in Rockford area policing