Who We Are

We proudly serve and protect the Alsip community. 

Our dedication to quality and service is shown in our daily conduct and in being one of just 47 accredited police departments out of more than 800 departments in Illinois.

Jay Miller

Chief Miller has served more than 25 years in law enforcement and more than 22 years with Alsip. He has served on FBI crimes against children taskforce, as an investigator and field training officer. He is a Chicago bears fan. 

Todd Gutkowski

Deputy Chief,  Gutkowski has served citizens  for more than 25 years. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s school of police staff and command, holds several certifications. He enjoys playing hockey.  

Valarie Emich

Lt. Emich has served citizens for more than 20 years and is the first female Alsip PD lieutenant. She leads the Crisis Intervention Team and enjoys snowboarding, bike riding, and spending time with family. Her favorite ice cream is cookies n’ cream. 

Hector Puente

Lt. Puente served in the military for more than 24 years and served the citizens of Alsip for more than 18 years. He graduation from Northwestern University’s School of Police staff and command Class 585 is a testament to his dedication to protecting Alsip. 

James Tyszko

Lt. Tyszko served the people of Alsip for 26 years. His graduation from Governor’s State University with a major in Criminal Justice. Received Life Saving Award; Meritorious Service Award; Medal of Valor Award; Leadership Award. 

Those who protect and serve

Officers of Alsip

Dear Alsip Neighbors,
I’m honored to serve you and my fellow officers as your Chief of Police. Law enforcement has always been a part of my life, with my uncle’s work with Chicago Police sparking my interest in the line of duty. To go from joining Crestwood’s police explorer program at age 16 to now overseeing more than 40 officers has been an incredible journey and great privilege.
“Chief” is a title and responsibility I don’t take lightly. During almost two decades I’ve worked with a great team of Alisp officers and held positions ranging from field training officer to detective to command officer overseeing the 911 call center. I bring those boots-on-the-ground experiences as your Chief, and it’s wonderful to see our community and department grow together over the years.
Public safety is a vital partnership between police and the community we serve, and I’m looking forward to increasing our engagement and communications with you as we all work towards a common goal: making Alsip a safe place for everyone to enjoy.
A huge thank you to our department and Alsipians for great strides we’ve accomplished together so far, including:
  • Improved public communications and accessibility. The redesigned website is easier to navigate and optimized for mobile use, so you can access public safety resources and read the latest news from the palm of your hand, on demand.
  • Boost social media presence to share information. Staying connected, sharing information, and collaborating online to keep our neighborhoods safe is critical. With regular postings we’ve grown our online followers by more than 30 percent and our Alsipian engagement has increased by more than 80 percent. Sync with us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and greatest.
  • Increase easy access to alerts. We launched a mobile app to keep you posted with notification and more. Enjoy the app by downloading it for you iPhone or Android.
  • Engage with you more. We’ve built on our Crime Prevention program and launched new ones to work with community members more often. Things like the Citizens Police Academy, where you can learn what it takes to become a police officer and how you can become an Alsip PD partner in fighting crime, Alsip Police Bike Patrol, and more are going strong.
  • Proactive policing. We’ve implemented a Crisis Interventions Team, whose officers received specialized training in working with those who suffer from mental illnesses. We’re also addressing human trafficking in south suburb hotels and motels in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children division.

     

Thank you to everyone who helped make these visions become a reality, and I’m grateful for the enthusiasm from Mayor John Ryan and Police Committee Chairperson Rick Dalzell.

Here’s to many more great years ahead,
Jay Miller Chief of Police Alsip Police Department