Kankakee, IL – Officer Jose Martinez made history today by being promoted as the first Hispanic sergeant in the Kankakee Police Department after serving 14 years in the City of Kankakee. The promotion was a long-term goal for him.

“I am looking forward to being a sergeant as I want to be able to help mentor and guide some of the newer officers. My goal is to try to keep them motivated, while continuing to serve and protect our City to the best of our capabilities. Growing up as a kid here, there were not very many Hispanic police officers in Kankakee. To be able to come into a department that for the last 40 years or so, and it is just now starting to reflect its diverse community shows that this department is growing. My goal is to be able to show our youth that just because you are from Kankakee doesn’t mean you can’t stay here and make a difference,” said Sergeant Jose Martinez.

Sergeant Martinez attended Kankakee High School through his junior year and graduated from Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School. Martinez then obtained his associate degree in criminal justice from Kankakee Community College before serving four years in the United States Army. Sergeant Martinez started his career with the Kankakee Police Department in 2006. He worked as a school resource officer, served on the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (KAMEG) and as a field training officer. Martinez also has experience in hostage and crisis negotiation, as well as, the Tactical Response Team (TST).

“This news is exciting because I’ve seen Sergeant Martinez through his whole career. He worked for me as a school resource officer and he is a very active officer. He will also continue to show our youth who may one day want to follow in his footsteps that there is a chance and there is room for growth in our community,” said Deputy Chief Willie Hunt.

“Sergeant Martinez has been a great asset to our department and has been a very proactive police officer by engaging our community. We look forward to his next chapter in his career as a leader in our department,” said Chief Frank Kosman.

“This is a historic moment in the City of Kankakee. Sergeant Martinez once shared with me that becoming the City’s first Hispanic Sergeant was a goal for him that he wanted to achieve and I am proud to see this day come for him. He has earned this promotion through his hard work, relationship building with youth and his proactive approach to serving this community. We will continue to prioritize diversity within our police department in response to the expectations of a growing community,” said Mayor Wells-Armstrong.

Sergeant Martinez credits his family being here as being one of his biggest motivations to contribute to making the community better. He has been married to his wife, Ursula Martinez, for 16 years and the two are raising their three daughters in the community, Waverly Martinez, Evita Martinez and Sofia Martinez.

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The City of Kankakee is dedicated to protecting, building and nurturing the community while enhancing lives. We are a historic, vibrant, and active riverfront community. We continue to transform into an extraordinary place to dream, grow, and thrive. Embracing our diversity, we strive to be progressive, inclusive, and innovative. For more information on the City of Kankakee, please visit the website at www.citykankakee-il.gov.

 

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