Waukegan’s new police chief sworn in after 24 years in the department; ‘It’s very obvious he was the right choice’

Edgar Navarro has worked all over the Waukegan police department in his 24 years, from the criminal investigations division, to the patrol and night patrol divisions, to the neighborhood enforcement team and the gang unit.

He’s commanded the department’s office of professional standards, its gang intelligence unit and the community crimes division, and now Navarro is the department’s new chief.

Navarro was sworn in at Monday’s Waukegan City Council meeting to replace former Chief Keith Zupec, who retired in January after seven months on the job.

“I came to the department (from working for the Cook County Department of Corrections) and never looked back,” Navarro told the News-Sun after taking his oath. “The department has done me well ever since, and in turn that’s why I dedicate myself to the community. They’ve provided a lot for me and my family, and in turn I give them everything I possibly have.”

More than a hundred people, including many police officers and members of Navarro’s family, packed into the City Council chambers to see him assume his new post.

Navarro was appointed in a unanimous vote by the board, and Mayor Ann Taylor lauded Navarro for his conduct and resume, saying he makes, “this city so proud.”

After working as a deputy chief under Zupec since 2022 and a commander since 2015, Taylor said Navarro has been “at every level of police work,” and referenced being able to feel “the compassion he has for this community.”

Navarro credited the department’s officers, his family and mentors in law enforcement, saying he was lucky enough to be, “surrounded by some great people.” He laid out a vision for a department that will prioritize, “professional accountability, consistent customer service, crime management, re-strategizing and coming up with some very innovative solutions to the problems we’re currently having.”

Some of Navarro’s priorities for the department include continuing to focus on improving its diversity, noting he believes that WPD is hiring more female officers than ever, improving recruitment efforts by mitigating barriers to application and officer wellness.

When it comes to areas where Waukegan police have drawn criticism, like the department’s juvenile arrest and interrogation procedures, and its response to violence in the community, Navarro said he wants the city to know, “We are here to serve them, and that there is an avenue for them to come forward and complain when they see something that is not right.”

The city of Waukegan and three of its police officers have been named as defendants in a federal lawsuit brought by the mother of a Waukegan High School student who was taken out of school and falsely arrested for attempted murder last year, where the teen was jailed for days until family members proved he was playing at an away basketball game when the incident occurred.

The lawsuit alleges that officers attempted to coerce a confession from the teen with McDonald’s food, and told him if he confessed he could go home.

Navarro said he takes policy and legal violations in the department seriously, adding his time in office of professional standards was “very important” to him. He said the department has, and will continue to “follow-up 100%” on any complaints reported to the department by phone or online.

“I need to know what’s going on,” he said. “I need to know if we are doing something wrong so we can make those adjustments and move forward.”

After the incident and hiring a consultant to study its interrogation last year, the department changed policies to no longer arrest children while at school, and to not hold interrogations without a guardian or attorney present.

Navarro said he has been fortunate to learn about policing from a “phenomenal group of people,” and that he believes his ability to be a “very good listener” will aid him on the job.

“There’s a saying in Spanish, ‘Si me dices con quien andas, te digo quien eres,’” he said. “If you tell me who you hang out with, I’ll let you know who you are.”

Navarro also said he intends to continue to work to build strong relationships with community groups, such as violence prevention organizations and religious institutions.

He added, “We all come from different walks of life, and I always keep an open mindset on things. If your idea’s better than mine, I’m going to utilize it. I don’t care where it comes from, I will always credit the author. Just because I’m chief of police doesn’t mean that I’m going to have all the answers.”

Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Reginald Matthews, who knew Navarro from his time as a prosecutor, administered the oath of office.

“To be chief of police, I think, is a marriage to the city,” Matthews said, after jokingly declaring, “Dearly beloved.”

Taylor said there was not a national search for the new chief due to time restrictions, and a strong belief Navarro was the ideal candidate.

“The overwhelming support from the community made it very obvious that he was the right choice,” Taylor told the News-Sun.

Navarro’s former boss, Zupec, greeted him warmly on Monday night before the appointment became official.

Zupec declined to be interviewed, but said, “I love (Navarro) to death.”