The Village of Peoria Heights has a new police chief. Though the department’s leadership is a familiar face hired internally, it’s the first change in the position in 30 years.
Chris Ahart is taking over the department from Dustin Sutton. Sutton is retiring after three decades, though he’ll continue on in his other role as Peoria Heights’ village administrator.
Ahart is a 26-year veteran of the Heights department, starting in 1999 after a three-year stint with the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department. Ahart has been a deputy chief since 2012.
As a leader of the 17-person department, Ahart says he’s not aiming to “reinvent the wheel.” He said Sutton was in the process of building the department up when Ahart started in 1999.
“We’re one of the best, one of the most respected departments in the Central Illinois area and I’m just going to follow that lead,” he said. “I’m going to continue doing what Chief [Sutton] laid the groundwork to do.”
Ahart says the people and safety of Peoria Heights are his number one priority and he aims to keep a “good, young, aggressive department.”
“[Officers] pop into businesses. They walk through the restaurant area. They walk through the concert area at Heritage Square. I want the officers out there being seen,” said Ahart. “I want the public to be able to walk up to them, talk to them, just not deal with them in the worst times of their life.”
The promotion of Ahart to chief also means several other promotions happened throughout the department. Those include new sergeants, detectives and Jodie Brackney as the department’s first woman to hold the title of deputy chief.
Ahart said Brackney was one of four to interview for the position.
“She started as a patrolman, worked her way up. She was a detective, and it was just a natural next selection,” he said. “I think she’ll be a great fit and she’s one of the handful of younger officers who are going to lead us into the future.”
Ahart was appointed to chief by Mayor Matt Wigginton and unanimously approved by the village board for a four-year contract at an annual salary of $125,000.
Ahart is also the president of the Peoria Heights School District 325 Board and the village's representative on the board of CityLink/Greater Peoria Mass Transit District.
