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Stewart would not be the only woman to head a police department in the Stateline Area. Carla Redd has been serving as Rockford, Illinois police chief since August of 2021. LeAnn Jones has been Town of Beloit police chief since January of 2022. Jamie Evans served as police chief for the Roscoe, Illinois Police Department for 14 years. She retired in April of 2023 and she passed away after a long battle with cancer in December of 2023.

Stewart must complete a standard employment drug screen, a background investigation and the Police & Fire Commission must approve the decision at its next meeting, which is scheduled in early November, according to a news release issued Wednesday morning from the City of Beloit.

Stewart was one of three finalists for the police chief position. Other finalists were Ty Eagleson, who is assistant deputy chief of the Investigative Services Bureau for the Rockford Police Department, and Anthony Miceli, who is chief of police for the Town of Geneva Police Department. There were 15 applicants for the police chief position in Beloit. MTG Consulting Group assisted the Police and Fire Commission in the search for a new police chief.

Stewart is scheduled to fill the vacancy left by former Chief Andre Sayles, who left Beloit in June to accept a deputy chief’s position with the Seattle, Washington Police Department.

Stewart has served in law enforcement for 19 years in Oak Park, Illinois. She started her career as a police officer and has risen through the ranks at the department. Stewart worked as a patrol officer, juvenile investigator, detective, tactical officer, patrol sergeant, tactical sergeant, detective sergeant, patrol commander, community policing commander and investigations commander. She also served as a homicide task force member, Internet Crimes Against Children task force member, FBI hijacking task force member, and human trafficking task force member.

In her role as commander, she performed a variety of administrative, operation and fiscal oversight of the patrol, investigations and community policing units. She supervised the patrol, investigations and community policing personnel, with the sergeants directly reporting to her. She also has a strong background in community policing, media relations and investigation tactics.

Stewart attended Northwestern University Staff and Command School and graduated December 2023 as the prestigious Franklin M. Kreml Leadership Award Recipient for SPSC 561.

Stewart is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP), and National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).

Stewart holds a Master of Social Work from Chicago State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice graduating with Cum Laude Honors from Barber-Scotia College.

Before starting her career as a police officer in 2006, Stewart previously worked in social work, providing an additional perspective on community policing.

She also has a twin sister, Schenita Stewart, who is police chief for the Evanston, Illinois Police Department.