Webster Groves’ new police chief, Vincent Acevez, takes office

WEBSTER GROVES, Missouri – The city of Webster Groves has a new police chief, Vincent Acevez. He took over the leadership of the department this week after the last chief, Dale Curtis, retired after three decades of service.

Acevez is a Chicago native who came out of retirement for this opportunity. He has over twenty years of experience in law enforcement and emergency response in the Chicago area. Acevez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois.

• He served as a law enforcement officer with the Cicero, Illinois Police Department for over 20 years.
• He began his career as a police officer and rose to the rank of deputy chief of police.
• Acevez currently serves as the deputy director of the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Safety.
• He worked as an investigator for the Illinois Department of Transportation.
• He was police chief of Morton College in Illinois.

“It’s exactly what I expected. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m someone who needs challenges,” Acevez said.

Acevez sat down with 5 On Your Side’s Diamond Palmer for his first television interview since taking over as Webster Groves’ new police chief this week. His first day on the job was June 24.

His biggest supporters are his wife and two children.

“We have been married for almost 20 years and have two daughters, 15 and 12 years old,” Acevez said.

His goals for the department include building on what already exists and creating goals of his own. Long-term, he wants the department to become a regional leader in community outreach, mentoring young officers and building a culture of excellence.

The new police chief says he likes everything about Webster Groves and thanks the people who served here before him.

“My predecessors Dale, Greg and Erich did a great job creating an excellent culture in the police department that I hope to build on,” Acevez said. “There isn’t a lot of crime in Webster Groves, touch wood. And we want to keep it that way.”

The city hopes to continue this with a new drone program, which was launched this spring and costs $20,000.

Some residents worry about their privacy and the cost of the drones. Their main concerns with the drones are privacy and cost. But under Missouri’s Sunshine Law, residents can request the footage.

Webster Groves police said they are taking steps to ensure privacy is not violated.

Acevez has worked with drones in previous criminal cases, including searching for missing children, and believes the tools will be helpful.

“I just think there are countless uses for the drone. Not only does it increase the department’s effectiveness as a force multiplier, but it’s also a huge safety improvement from a resident’s perspective,” Acevez said.

One officer from the department passed the exam this week and now has his FAA drone license. Webster Groves hopes there will eventually be six certified drone officers.

Acevez wants to share one thing with the Webster Groves community about his new role.

“The biggest challenge when you step into a new position, whether you’re moving as an outsider or moving within an organization, is gaining trust, the trust of the police officers, the trust of the elected officials, the trust of the city manager, the trust of all the community stakeholders involved,” said Chief Acevez. “It’s a difficult job. And that’s the most important thing to do because I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons in leadership. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, I have a lot of scars from leadership, all of those things have made me a better leader. Not the best, but I’m always striving to improve, but the way to build that trust is to just take care of people.”