Retiring Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria believes the department is in a better place than when he took the job five years ago.
“There’s several things. One, I think it’s just the relationship that we’ve had with the community. I think we’ve built a phenomenal relationship with the community,” said Echevarria, who will retire from his leadership position May 15.
“I think when you look at technology and you look at staffing and the equipment that we’ve been able to purchase and do the things we’ve been able to do, I think all of those fall in that category of achievements.”
In his retirement announcement, Echevarria said his goal from the beginning was to “leave this department and this community better than I found it,” and that the police have made real progress toward that end.
Echevarria said the Peoria Police Department's improvements have occurred in numerous areas.
“Equipment, personnel, our diversity, all these things that we’ve been able to do – we lowered crime in 2025 as we entered into a 10-year low – I’m happy,” he said. “I’m happy, and I’m thankful for our team.
“It’s not just a chief thing, right? I want to reiterate that this does not happen without the community support and our officers being on board and then our mayor and our council being supportive.”
Echevarria points to statistics showing a reduction in gun violence over the past five years – and he’s particularly proud of the fact that all 12 of the city’s homicide cases in 2025 have been closed.
“One homicide is one too many, right? So as long as we have homicides and shootings, the police department needs to continue to work towards reducing those numbers,” he said.
He said the best law enforcement comes through pairing great police work with the appropriate tools for the job, and cooperation from the public.
“It’s our technology, it’s our relationships with our community, right? People need to trust that if they share information with us, one, that we’re not outing them; and two, that we’re working on that information and using it,” he said. “So it’s a combination of everything.”
‘Perception is reality’
Echevarria said some of the department upgrades have been subtle, things many people might not notice – some physical changes inside the headquarters, minor changes to uniforms and patrol vehicles.
So has it been a matter of elevating the public’s perception of the Peoria Police?
“For sure, a part of it, yeah. I think sometimes perception is reality. I think there’s some realities in there as well,” he said.
“We didn’t get here overnight, and you don’t change it overnight. And so I think we set up the police department to continue to succeed.”
He said one area that needed attention when he took the job was upgrading technology, a message he received loud and clear from department personnel.
“What I hear from them is we came out of the stone ages,” said Echevarria. “When I got hired here, the detectives had flip phones. Five years ago, flip phones! You know, iPhones existed, right?”
He said the department has since embraced newer technology, with the use of camera systems, drones and shot detection programming.
Echevarria noted other changes range from how the department purchases equipment to new procedures for providing officers with uniforms.
“One thing we just finally did recently is, if you look at the back of the police officers, the patches now on the back, it says ‘Peoria Police,” he said. “It doesn’t say, ‘Police;’ it says, ‘Peoria Police.’ – and it’s a small tweak, because we want everybody in our community to know, ‘oh, that’s [our] police. That’s not a federal agency, that’s not some other thing.”
Family matters
Echevarria says his retirement had been in the planning process for a while, following the birth of his grandson in January 2025.
“I think everybody around here will tell you that works closer to me that the chief has probably been a little different since his grandbaby was born. I love being a grandfather, and I want nothing but to hang out with my grandbaby,” said Echevarria, also noting his son set to enter high school in the fall.
“Legitimately, I’m not going to be here another four years, and I’m not going to do a year and then pull him out. Those are very important years in a kid’s life, and it’s already hard enough to be the chief’s son.”
Echevarria says he’s grateful for Peoria making him feel like a part of its family after he arrived here after spending 20 years with the Elgin Police Department.
“How do I express the love, the grace, the trust? I’m not from here; I’m not from Peoria, but I feel like I’m from Peoria. The community has hasn’t shunned me; they’ve embraced me, they’ve embraced my family,” he said.
“There’s so much love that is just thrown my way, that I never wanted to – I didn’t want to fail them. I didn’t want to fail the community. And that’s what continues to make you work harder and harder and harder.”
Moving forward
Echevarria said he has the utmost confidence in Assistant Chief Brad Dixon, the Peoria native and 25-year department veteran tabbed to take over as the department head after he leaves.
“He’s the homegrown guy; he came up the ranks. In my five years, not once have I ever regretted promoting him to my assistant chief,” said Echevarria. “I couldn’t have asked for a better second in command, my right-hand man.”
Echevarria said he and Dixon had some “moments where we didn’t see eye-to-eye,” but that only leads to better decision-making.
“That’s what I always wanted. Anybody that’s worked alongside me, don’t just say ‘yes’ to me because I said it. No, I need your opinion,” the police chief said. “Let’s not fail as a team because you want to agree with me on some stupid idea I might have, right?
“If it’s dumb or if I’m making a bad choice, let’s talk about it. Ultimately, I have to make the decision.”
Echevarria said Dixon is ready for the top job, and that he will remain a phone call away if the new chief ever needs his advice or support.
“He’ll now have to take this helm and direct it the way he best feels for it to go, to continue to be successful,” he said. “He’s going to be great. What I ask the community, in all seriousness, is please show him the same grace, give him the same trust and respect that you gave me.”
