WEST TOWN — A veteran commander who has led the Near West police district for about two years will be replaced by an Englewood captain moving up the ranks.
Cmdr. Melissa Staples, a 25-year-department veteran, has served as the leader of the Near West District, headquartered on the border of Little Italy and Pilsen neighborhoods, since Dec. 2012. She was put at the helm of a newly created territory when two districts merged.
The Near West district spans eight communities. Staples has been reassigned to an "Executive Officer of Area North" post where she will be second in command.
Replacing her will be Capt. Edward Kulbida, who is slated to receive the Department's "Top Cop" award in May and has 30 years of experience with the Chicago Police Department. He is currently an executive officer in Englewood's 7th District, said Martin Maloney, a Chicago Police Department spokesman.
Kulbida suffered a gunshot wound to the head in October while on duty and returned to work in December.
Before being tapped to lead the Near West District at 1412 S. Blue Island Ave., Staples previously served as a commander in the North Side's 17th District.
"I don't consider myself another player. I think that I was chosen for this for a reason and I'm going to do the best I can," Staples said in Dec. 2012, when she vowed to crack down on gangs and "increase intelligence, rather than just driving around."
Staples, who also lives in the West Town area, helped to lead a team that arrested a prominent Satan Disciples gang member two months after taking charge.
She was a familiar presence at Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings and impressed several residents in West Town enclaves of East and Ukrainian Villages.
Comdr. Staples at a CAPS Meeting in Ukrainian Village in 2013 (DNAinfo/Chloe Riley)
"She leads by example and the officers who work for her have called her 'the Real Police' on more than one occasion. That's high praise from patrol officers. While we will miss her as the leader of the Near West District, it's good to know she'll still be a member of our community," said Kim Shepherd, a CAPS administrator for Beat 1221.
Steve Niketopoulos, a founder of several neighborhood Facebook groups, where residents keep tabs on crime on their blocks, said on Monday that he was "very surprised" to hear that Staples was leaving the district.
"Commander Staples has been so helpful to the community following the loss of the 13th District police station. She did great work reducing stolen cars and implementing tactical officers, it was impressive to see how she looked at the 13th as a whole. But that said I look forward to seeing what plans Commander Kulbida has for the area, and see what he thinks of our community policing strategy already in place," Niketopoulos said.
Captain Ed Kulbida (DNAinfo/Mauricio Pena)
