Jim was raised in Chicago Ridge where many of his family still reside. He attended Ridge Central, Finley Junior High and graduated from H. L. Richards High School in 1987. In 1989, Jim received an associate degree in criminal justice from Moraine Valley Community College.  

 Jim was hired by the Village of Richton Park as a full-time police officer in September of 1993. He was assigned to investigations as a detective in January of 1996, where he worked until he left in 1998 to work for the town he grew up in, Chicago Ridge. Jim has held the ranks of patrol officer, corporal, detective, sergeant detective, commander of investigations and Deputy Chief of Investigations.  In December of 2021, he was promoted to the prestigious rank of Chief of Police.

 Jim has also been an evidence technician, field training officer, member of the bike patrol unit and on the rapid response team. In addition to being an investigator for Chicago Ridge, Jim was assigned to the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force. He was a member of the task force from January 2004 until January 2016.  During those twelve years, Jim was involved in over sixty homicide investigations for one of the most highly regarded task forces in the country.  In 2016, Jim became a member of the newly formed Southwest Major Crimes Task Force.

 Jim is a certified lead homicide investigator and juvenile officer.  He is also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Illinois Juvenile Officers Association.

 Jim thanks the Village of Chicago Ridge for all of the opportunities and experiences he has been involved in since coming to work for them. He believes that the strong relationship between the community and the police department is directly related to the time that the police department dedicates to the schools. Jim was the juvenile detective/police officer assigned to the school liaison program from November 2003 until May 2006 and is still a member of the Risk Watch Program.