The Tinley Park Village Board swore in Frederick Melean, a retired Chicago deputy police chief, as village police commander Tuesday after the previous commander, Patrick St. John, resigned and was charged with domestic battery and violating an order of protection.
Melean begins the position Jan. 5, and he said Tuesday he looks forward to gaining trust and establishing partnership with the Tinley Park community.
Village Manager Pat Carr congratulated Melean and commended his experience Tuesday. Carr said Melean was selected based on his 31 years of experience and exemplary record.
He highlighted Melean’s experience with emergency planning and operations, risk management, community policing and supersized street operations for 22 police districts. One police district, he said, is about the size of Tinley Park.
“The amount of personnel that Fred oversaw on a daily basis is extraordinary,” Carr said.
Carr said Melean has received several awards, such as four department commendations, a NATO Summit service award, a Democratic National Convention award, a presidential selection deployment award and several crime reduction awards.
“That’s why we selected Fred, and now he makes out a team of probably one of the most experienced suburban police departments in the state of Illinois,” Carr said.
St. John, the previous commander, was charged with domestic battery and violating an order of protection Friday. He turned himself in and appeared at the Cook County courthouse in Bridgeview Friday, where he was ordered to surrender his FOID card and firearms.
St. John’s resignation is effective Dec. 19, according to Carr. He worked for Tinley Park police for nearly 27 years and was promoted to commander in December 2024, Carr said.
awright@chicagotribune.com