The Village of South Holland is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Deputy Police Chief, Gregory C. Baker. The appointment by the Mayor, to fill a vacancy, was unanimously supported by the Public Safety Committee, and the Village Board.

Deputy Chief Baker, a graduate of Northwestern University School of Staff & Command, has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, including progressive command-level responsibilities. He began his career as a police officer in the Village of Park Forest. He rose through the ranks to become the Deputy Chief. Most recently he served as the Chief of Police for the Village of Riverdale.

He possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience in field operations, training, investigations, recruitment, labor relations, strategic planning, community relations and overseeing multi-million dollar budgets. Over the span of his career, Baker has received seven Meritorious Awards and more than 30 Outstanding Service Awards. He has been named Officer of the Year and Park Forest Jaycees Outstanding Law Officer on multiple occasions.

He serves on the Executive Board of the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the South Suburban Emergency Response Team, and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force.

Gregory Baker was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief during the Village Board meeting of August 17, 2009.