Police partners work well together for Joliet

Police partners Tyler Bayles and Jesus Mendez patrol the streets of Joliet together after training for their jobs at the same time and even going to the same high school.

They didn’t know each other when they were students at Plainfield South High School. But they’ve gotten to know each other pretty well since then.

“Honestly, I probably see him more often than I see my own wife and children,” Mendez said.

The two work a night shift, meaning they typically sleep during hours when their families are awake.

Given their track record, it’s not surprising that Mendez and Bayles jointly received the Cantigny Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 367 Officer of the Year Award in 2023. The post gives the award each year recognizing officers nominated from within the Joliet Police Department.

Bayles and Mendez were recognized for their initiative as patrol officers, going beyond the normal course of duty to help the department fight crime.

Their work ranges from the gravely serious to the relatively absurd. They help take illegal guns off the streets and were able to find a suspect in a murder case. They also have been called to a domestic squabble over who gets to use the remote control and a neighbor dispute over who was mowing whose lawn.

“I think the biggest challenge is having your own identity, not being a police officer all the time.”

—  Tyler Bayles , Joliet police officer

One constant is that it pays to be alert, which they both said is exemplified in the basic traffic stop.

Traffic stops by police that lead to arrests for other crimes have become controversial. But Bayles said it is a crime prevention technique that can be used to track down criminals who otherwise would go unnoticed.

“You wouldn’t necessarily get these things on people who are committing crimes on simple calls for service,” Bayles said.

Bayles and Mendez, who joined the Joliet Police Department in 2018, help train new officers and tell them that the basic traffic stop requires the use of a wide range of police skills that include knowledge of the law, investigative techniques to look for signs of criminal activity, and alertness for the possibility of threatening conduct by the person being stopped.

They also socialize together. But Bayles said it’s important to have a life outside the job.

“I think the biggest challenge is having your own identity, not being a police officer all the time,” he said. “I think that’s healthy.”

Mendez agreed, noting that it also helps to know their work is appreciated. Having strangers walk up to them and thank them for their service “is always a heartwarming feeling,” he said.

“We’re human, too,” Mendez said when asked what he would like the public to know about police officers. “We’re not perfect. We make mistakes. But work with us, and we’ll work with you guys.”