Robert Reffett has been a Rockford Police officer since March 1998.

Reffett as deputy chief oversees both the SWAT and Bomb unit.

On February 6th, 2019, Reffett responded to the shooting of Randy Pierson by then rockford police officer Timothy Stec on Bypass 20.

Upon Reffett’s arrival Randy was already dead, laying in the drivers seat of a pick up truck pulling a camper.

Under orders from ADC Dalke, Reffett broke into the locked camper allowing Stundzia and Geiken to search the camper.

On May 30th, 2020, Reffett as a then ADC and commander over the SWAT team was monitoring the first protest in Rockford following the murder of George Floyd.

Reffett had the SWAT team waiting to be deployed at the “City Yards”

As the protest grew outside District 1 and damage was done to the RPD sign on the front lawn and some windows, Reffett activated the SWAT team. A “skirmish line” was formed that was meant to push the protestors out of District 1.

Officers on this line on several occasions hit protestors with batons, riot shields, shot OC spray directly at protestors, and eventually, under direct orders from Reffett, used tear gas on the crowd.

The tear gas used by Eric Boettcher and David Cerasa caused almost all of the crowd to leave.

In his report Reffet wrote that after the first “round” of tear gas a small-half-a-dozen group of people attempted to return to the front lawn.

Reffett himself attempted to use tear gas on the small group before having Cerasa and Boettcher gas them out.

In the fall of 2020 Reffett was the “Commander in charge” of multiple City Market protests.

On September 25th, 2020, Reffet assisted in the arrest of a protestor with Michael Dalke and Matthew Shelton. Their use of force caused the protestor to have difficulties breathing and suffer a seizure

In 2019, Reffett made $113,687 in salary + $78 in overtime = $113,765 + $8,320 in health insurance + $30,497 pension pay.

In 2020, they made $128,119 in salary + $8,320 in health insurance + $33,025 in pension pay.

In 2021, they made $128,593 in salary $8,320 in health insurance + $34,932 in pension pay.

In 2022, they made $158,201 in salary + $8,320 in health insurance + $39,700 in pension pay.

In 2023, they made $163,586 in salary + $8,320 in health insurance + $46,059 in pension pay.

In 2024, they made $152,186 in salary + $8,775 in health insurance + $52,059 in pension pay.

If you or anyone you know has been abused, harassed or otherwise mistreated by this officer please email us with the officers name in the subject.