Convicted Of Battery, Joliet Cop Promoted To Sergeant
JOLIET, IL — Six police officers with exceptional records and little or no disciplinary history on the Joliet Police Department were promoted to sergeant and lieutenant on Thursday evening, and so was Joliet Police Officer Bob Mau, who was convicted of battery.
Second-year Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans urged the city’s police and fire board to promote Mau to a sergeant’s rank after the board returned to open session. The board met behind closed doors for about two hours to discuss personnel.
In open session, the board voted 4-1 to make Mau a sergeant.
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Voting in favor of promoting Mau were: retired Joliet firefighter/paramedic John Lukancic, whose father was a retired Joliet police officer; Quinn Adamowski, who lost his City Council race on Tuesday to Pat Mudron; and Janean Jackson, who lost her City Council race to Sherri Reardon.
Rosa Hernandez, who finished in last place out of four candidates trying to replace Bettye Gavin on the City Council, also voted in favor of making Mau a sergeant.
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Brad Price, who is retired from the Joliet Police Department, cast the only vote against Mau’s promotion.
Several members of the Joliet Police Department in attendance to watch Thursday’s meeting clapped for several seconds after Mau’s promotion was approved. The Joliet Police Department currently has 266 sworn officers, according to Evans.
The six other promotions on the agenda were approved in a unanimous fashion:
Thursday’s meeting was moved from City Hall to the Joliet Police Station second floor conference room and the meeting drew a large presence of Joliet police officers, including retired Joliet Police Lt. Dawn Malec. Last year, she filed a federal lawsuit against Joliet and City Manager Jim Capparelli surrounding her removal as chief of police in October 2021.
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When Mau’s name was brought up for a promotion, Chief Evans offered several positive remarks about Mau’s performance as a Joliet police officer. Back in December, Evans told Joliet Patch that Mau received a Life Saving Citation in 2007, a Department Commendation in 2010 and several letters of appreciation, including letters of praise from Joliet citizens.
He also noted that Mau is a Certified Crash Reconstructionist, and he is considered one of the best in the area. Mau also received a letter of appreciation from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists in 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
Back in 2012, Mau agreed to serve a 120-day unpaid work suspension from the Joliet Police Department as part of a “last chance agreement” to remain a city police officer.
Mau perpetrated the attack upon his ex-fiancee’s friend less than three hours after he finished his 2 to 10 p.m. work shift at the Joliet police station.
Prior to Mau’s attack, he had been drinking alcohol at two different Joliet area bars. Before meeting his ex-fiancee at the Double J Sports Bar on Essington Road, Mau decided to follow the Joliet woman to a west side house where she was driving to drop off a male friend.
Mau found her car parked in the driveway and saw her kissing a man in the passenger seat. At that point, seven months had passed since Mau’s ex-fiancee called off their wedding, and six months since she gave Mau back her engagement ring.
According to a Joliet sergeant’s memo, in the incident on Reardon Drive, “Officer Mau struck (the victim) in the face numerous times with a closed fist. When (the victim) was on the ground, Officer Mau punched and kicked him in the face, resulting in a broken nose, lacerations, contusions, swelling to his face. Officer Mau was subsequently arrested for Aggravated Battery.”
Back in December, Chief Evans provided Joliet Patch with a statement that read: “Bob Mau is a family man who made a mistake 12 years ago. He was involved in an incident while off-duty. Since that time, Mau has been a very respectable police officer and an excellent employee. He was humiliated and punished for his role in the incident 12 years ago and paid substantially for the error in judgement, both financially and professionally. I am in no way condoning his actions of twelve years ago, but I do feel is prudent to mention all the positive things this officer has done over the years.”
Related Joliet Patch coverage:
Joliet Cop Who Beat Ex-Fiancee’s Friend Now Up For Sergeant
Mau Shatters Black Driver’s Window, Gets Reprimand After Incident
Officer Mau, Sgt. Julie Larson Aren’t Getting Promoted: Capparelli
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