Open Letter to Law Enforcement, By Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.)

Open Letter to Illinois Law Enforcement Leaders from Chief Tom Weitzel,

Riverside Police Department (Retired),

Fellow of Law Enforcement at Awake Illinois

May 15, 2026

To my Illinois law enforcement colleagues,

This is our moment. It is time for us to lead with the clarity, courage, and conviction that our communities desperately need — and that we were born to deliver. For years, we had elected officials who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us, fought for our training, equipment, staffing, and the laws that empowered us to protect the public. That era has passed. The silence from those who once backed us is deafening. But silence only strengthens our resolve.

I write this during National Police Week, as we honor the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their courage demands more than remembrance — it demands action. Illinois law enforcement, the victims we serve, and their families deserve leaders who refuse to yield. We will push back — hard — against the anti-police activists, the legislators who actively undermine our work, and the media that attacks us daily. 

Enough is enough. 

I am calling on every chief, sheriff, command officer, union leader, and frontline officer to stand with me. This is the moment we unite, speak with one powerful voice, and take back the narrative.

Now that I am retired, I have the freedom to say what many of you feel you cannot. I will continue to expose the recruiting and retention crisis, the dangerous legislation designed to handcuff our agencies, the false narratives that erode public trust, and the urgent need for bold, pro-police laws that restore our ability to keep Illinois safe. You, the current leaders on the front lines, have the power and the duty to push back with me. I know you feel it in your gut every single day — now is the time to act on it.

We must confront, head-on, the coordinated campaign to dismantle our profession. Some will call this harsh. I call it necessary. What is happening across much of Illinois is not reform — it is a deliberate effort to weaken, divide, and discredit the men and women who stand between chaos and safety.

I have said it many times and I stand by it without apology: Illinois is the most anti-police legislative state in America. I saw it up close during my years on the Illinois Chiefs legislative committee. We scored real wins for public safety, but there were times we should have held the line more firmly. I opposed cannabis legalization because I knew it would endanger officers and citizens alike. Too often, we were pressured to support bad bills just to “keep relationships” — and those relationships rarely delivered when it mattered most. 

Those days are over.

During this Police Week, I challenge every leader in Illinois law enforcement to rise up with renewed fire. Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your officers. Recruit and retain the very best. Back your people publicly when they are right — and do it loudly. When misconduct occurs, handle it swiftly and decisively through proper procedures. True accountability is not weakness — it is the steel that strengthens our badge and our profession.

For those who don’t know my record: I served 37 years in Riverside, including 13 as Chief. Today I serve as an ambassador for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C., a Law Enforcement Fellow at Awake Illinois, and a member of the Law Enforcement Advisory Council for Citizens Behind The Badge in McLean, Virginia.

I am proud to stand with Awake Illinois — a fierce, grassroots force that fights every day for law enforcement and safer communities. I wear that affiliation as a badge of honor. Critics will attack it, just as they attack anyone who refuses to stay silent. I have faced smear campaigns and attempts to shut me down. Many of you have faced the same. That noise is proof we are effective. Let it fuel us. We will speak louder, stand taller, and fight harder. 

Law enforcement is the most honorable profession on earth. Every one of my children wears the badge in suburban Chicago. I would never have encouraged them to follow this path if I didn’t believe — with every fiber of my being — in the integrity, courage, and vital importance of this calling.

I am ready to work with every police chief, sheriff, superintendent, union leader, and street-level officer across Illinois. The men and women on the beat already know the truth about what is happening in our cities and towns. We all do. Now we say it publicly, boldly, and without hesitation.

You can count on me — today, tomorrow, and every day after. My support for every police officer in Illinois and across this nation will never waver.

Let’s do this. Together we are unstoppable.

Respectfully,

Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.)

Email: tqweitzel@outlook.com

@chiefweitzel on X

Weitzel Dear Colleagues May 15 2026.pdf

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