Bob O'Dekirk (/ˈoʊdəkɜːrk/ OH-də-kurk;[1] born 1969/70)[2] was the mayor of Joliet, Illinois from 2015 to 2023. He was sworn in on May 4, 2015. O'Dekirk is a former Joliet police officer and is a practicing attorney in Joliet.
Bob O'Dekirk | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Joliet, Illinois | |
| In office May 4, 2015 – May 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Giarrante |
| Succeeded by | Terry D'Arcy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1969 or 1970 (age 54–55) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Joliet, Illinois |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois John Marshall Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
Education
editO'Dekirk descends from Canaryville Irish in Chicago.[3] He graduated in 1987 from Oak Forest High School, where he boxed and played football and baseball;[3] in 1987 he was named All-Conference in baseball.[4] He earned an undergraduate degree in 1991 from the University of Illinois and his degree in law in 2003 from the John Marshall Law School.[4][5][6]
Career
editBeginning in 1993 he worked for ten years as a uniformed and plainclothes officer for the Joliet police,[3] winning the Martin S. Murrin Labor Award in 1995[4][7] and serving on the executive board of the local affiliate of the Fraternal Order of Police. After earning his law degree, he became an Assistant Corporate Counsel for the city of Chicago and worked on a task force prosecuting narcotics crimes.[5][6] In 2006 he returned to Joliet and went into private practice.[4]
In 2008–2009, he worked with the Department of State assisting in training police in Iraq. On his return to the US, he became a partner in the law firm of O’Dekirk, Allred & Associates.[5][6][7][8]
O'Dekirk was elected to the Joliet City Council in 2011.[2][7] and was elected mayor in 2015,[4][5][6][9] unseating Tom Giarrante.[2][10] He is also the city's liquor commissioner.[11] His slogan as a mayoral candidate was "Joliet Can Be Great Again";[2][10] as mayor, he has emphasized conservative budgeting and economic development to make up for recent losses of employment and reduction in income from riverboat casinos.[12]
In 2023, he lost his bid for a third term to Terry D'Arcy[13]
Controversy
editDuring his time as a law enforcement officer for the Joliet Police Department, O'Dekirk allegedly faced seven suspensions totaling forty-nine days as punishment stemming from undisclosed actions.[14]
On May 31, 2020, O'Dekirk assaulted two Black Lives Matter protesters on Jefferson Street in Joliet. Videos of the incident, which became viral shortly thereafter, showed O'Dekirk grabbing a protester's neck with both hands, pushing him behind a police vehicle, and throwing him to the ground.[15][16] In response to public outrage from the assault, O'Dekirk, who was not employed as a police officer at the time, claimed to have used "standard police tactics" to immobilize the protester.[17] The City of Joliet paid $93,000 to the two victims of the assault in out-of-court settlements.[18][19]
Private life
editO'Dekirk is married, and the couple has three children.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Joliet Mayor, Bob O'Dekirk, gives us a brief monthly update on what's going on in the City of Joliet". Facebook. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d Alicia Fabbre (April 7, 2015). "Daily Southtown: Joliet mayor concedes bid for second term to challenger". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b c d Lorraine Swanson (May 1, 2015). "Mayor-Elect Eager To Get Joliet Moving Forward". Patch.
- ^ a b c d e Bremen District 228 (September 26, 2017). "Oak Forest HS Hall of Fame Induction". Patch (Press release).
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Mayor O'Dekirk Bio". City of Joliet. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Robert O'Dekirk - Attorney at Law". O’Dekirk, Allred and Associates, LLC. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ a b c "O'Dekirk to run for mayor of Joliet". The Times Weekly. January 14, 2014.
- ^ Mary Owen (March 7, 2011). "Council candidate faces residency questions". TribLocal – via Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Scott Viau (May 4, 2015). "O'Dekirk Sworn in as Joliet Mayor". Patch.
- ^ a b Bob Okon (April 7, 2015). "O'Dekirk wins Joliet mayoral race". The Herald-News.
- ^ Bob Okon (July 25, 2017). "Police called to Anthony's 132 times over three years". The Herald-News.
- ^ Brock A. Stein (January 27, 2016). "Mayor O'Dekirk boasts of bright future for Joliet in city address". The Times Weekly.
- ^ "Joliet mayoral race results: Mayor Bob O'Dekirk concedes to opponent Terry d'Arcy". 5 April 2023.
- ^ Fabbre, Alicia. "Joliet mayor's disciplinary files disappeared - West". digitaledition.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk's Confrontation With Protester Under Investigation, Officials Say". NBC Chicago. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Video shows Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk grab protester". Chicago Sun-Times. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Joliet mayor says he will not step down after confrontation with protester, accused of using 'excessive force'". ABC7 Chicago. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "$93,000 Settlement In Lawsuit Against Joliet Mayor O'Dekirk". Joliet, IL Patch. 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ Bredeson, Evan (2022-01-12). "Settlement Announced in lawsuit against Joliet Mayor". 1340 WJOL. Retrieved 2023-01-11.