MERIT
The Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team (MERIT) is a county-wide task force charged with leading investigations into serious crimes, critical incidents and other law enforcement endeavors. Created in 2019, MERIT is a consolidation of law enforcement specialty teams including FIAT, IMAT, DuCART, the DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force and the DuPage County SWAT Team. MERIT consists of ten components, namely, SWAT, Crisis Negotiation Team, Canine Response Unit, Incident Management Assistance Team, Planned Events, Major Crash Reconstruction Team, Major Crimes Unit, Public Integrity Team, Forensics Investigation Unit and Digital Forensics Unit.
Deputy Chief Jason Cates was a member of the Committee tasked with establishing MERIT and serves as the Deputy Coordinator of Tactical Operations and also serves as a member of the Executive Board.
K-9 Officer Andrew Franczak along with K-9 Becks are members of the Canine Response Unit (CRU). The mission of the CRU is to provide a coordinated canine response to critical incidents helping to minimize the potential for injury or loss of life to civilians, officers or suspects. The CRU consists of nine K-9 teams and are ready to respond 24 hours a day to high-risk critical incidents.
Sergeant Reid Foltyniewicz is assigned as a member of the SWAT Team. SWAT responds to high-risk critical incidents requiring specialized training and equipment. SWAT officers train a minimum of two times each month and an additional one week each year. Training requires a minimum of 216 hours and attendance at the Illinois Tactical Officer’s Association (ITOA) Conference.
Detective Kurt Kaleciak is assigned as a Crisis Negotiator of the Crisis Negotiation Team. Negotiators are trained by the FBI in Crisis Negotiation. They are responsible for maintaining contact with suspects and to get them to surrender and/or release hostages.
Detective Sergeant Brian Strockis and Detective Scott Warren are assigned to the Major Case Unit (MCU). MCU exists to assist member agencies with the investigation of major felony investigations. The team is dedicated to rapid response and professional investigative techniques. The goals of the MCU are to collect evidence, identify suspects, file appropriate criminal charges, arrest and successfully prosecute suspects in a Court of law.
Commander Ben Kadolph is a member of the Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT). IMAT supports efforts to meet the emergent needs of local law enforcement agencies planning for, responding to or recovering from an "All-Risk" incident or event.
Detective Mark Kozlowski is a member of the Digital Forensices Unit (DFU). Detective Kozlowski is an opentext Encase Certified Examiner and has mastered computer investigation methodology, as well as the use of the EnCase software and its application to complex computer examinations.
Officer Alyson Kern is a Crash Reconstructionist of the Major Crash Reconstruction Team (MCRT). MCRT responds to fatal or serious personal injury traffic crashes and uses their specialized training and experience to assist the member agency with completing a thorough and comprehensive investigation.