PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Mayor Rita Ali has presented the Mayor’s Leadership Award to Police Chief Eric Echevarria.
Echevarria was given the award on Friday, January 9 in recognition of his exemplary police and community leadership in reducing gun violence and homicides in the City of Peoria.
Peoria’s Strategic Communications Manager Stacy Peterson says under Echevarria’s watch, Peoria has seen significant and sustained reductions in violent crime.
Between 2021 and 2025, Peoria experienced a 61-percent drop in gunfire-related homicides and a 45-percent reduction in total homicides.
In 2025, every homicide in Peoria was solved, resulting in a 100-percent clearance rate, and the city recorded the lowest number of gunfire-related deaths since 2016.
Overall, Peterson says, 2025 marked Peoria’s lowest homicide rate since 2017, as well as the fewest gun incidents and gunshot victims since 2015.
The Mayor’s Leadership Award recognizes people whose leadership has had a significant and positive impact on the City of Peoria. Chief Echevarria was honored for his commitment to accountability, collaboration and community-focused policing.
For more information on the Peoria Police Department’s year-to-date-statistics, click HERE.
Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria. (City of Peoria)
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