Chief of Police Ken Beres
Chief Beres has worked for the Northlake Police Department since 1996. He began his career as an Auxiliary Police Officer and became a full time Police Officer three years later. During his career at Northlake PD, Chief Beres has held various roles, including Detective, Detective Sergeant, Supervisor of the Neighborhood Enforcement Team (gangs/narcotics), Patrol Commander, and Deputy Chief of Police, before being promoted to Chief of Police in January 2022. Chief Beres also served as a group leader/supervisor for the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force (WESTAF) for approximately three years. During his career, Chief Beres has earned numerous awards, including Officer of the Year (twice).
As Chief of Police, Chief Beres is responsible for ensuring the police department serves its community with professionalism, respect, and integrity. He works with Command Staff and other department personnel to set policy, establish culture and expectations, ensure accountability, manage the police department budget, and (most importantly) convert vision and goals into reality.
Chief Beres has a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University, a Master of Business Administration from Elmhurst University, and 15 years’ experience working in the corporate sector. In 2014, Chief Beres graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.
