Ex-Riverside Chief Makes Endorsement In Prosecutor Race

RIVERSIDE, IL – Riverside's former police chief said Sunday he was making his first-ever political endorsement.

Former Chief Tom Weitzel is backing Bob Fioretti, the Republican candidate for Cook County state's attorney. Fioretti is facing Democrat Eileen O'Neill Burke.

"I believe it is time for a complete change in the Cook County State Attorney's Office, and my endorsement is purely for public safety," Weitzel said in an email to Patch. "It is not a Democrat/Republican issue for me; it's about victims, victims' families, and a better working relationship with police."

In the Nov. 5 election, the candidates are vying to replace States's Attorney Kim Foxx.

In a news release from the Fioretti campaign, Weitzel said Foxx and her staff have demoralized law enforcement in Cook County to the point where it was "almost irreversible."

"I believe that Mr. Fioretti puts public safety first, will take the victims and families into account over offenders, and work to repair the relationship with all police agencies in Cook County," Weitzel said.

Weitzel, who has more than 35 years in law enforcement, retired as chief in 2021.