Skokie announces Jesse Barnes as new police chief, starting Jan. 2
Skokie’s Deputy Police Chief Jesse Barnes was announced as the new police chief by the village of Skokie on Thursday in a news release. He will be sworn in at the first Village Board meeting of 2024 on Jan. 2. On Tuesday, Chief Brian
Baker announced his retirement from the department after nearly 30 years on the force and three as chief. Barnes started his career in the department in 2000 and held the rank of detective, tactical intervention unit team commander, sergeant of the patrol and investigative services divisions and commander of investigative services, per the village. Barnes will become the chief of police after Baker retires on Dec. 22. There will not be an interim chief between Baker’s retirement and Barnes’s official swearing-in, said Patrick Deignan, the village’s communications and community engagement director.
“Chief Barnes is a proven and respected leader who has dedicated his law enforcement career to serving the residents of Skokie,” said Village Manager John Lockerby in a statement. “I am confident that his integrity, professionalism, and commitment to excellence, along with his deep understanding of the Skokie community, will further advance the department and support the excellent quality of life our residents enjoy.”
Barnes said, “I look forward to building on our department’s core values of life, partnership, excellence and respect as we protect public safety and meet our community’s evolving needs.” According to the village, Barnes is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff & Command and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northern Illinois University.