The Beloit City Manager is defending the police chief as the department faces severe staffing shortages since she took over the job.
Schonella Stewart became the first woman to lead the Beloit Police Department on Dec. 1, 2025. Since that time, 19 of the city’s 74 patrol officers have resigned. That’s about 25 percent of the department.
City Manager Daniel Ortiz Hernandez, who has only been in his role since June, sent a seven-page letter to the community on Saturday saying there is “no single explanation” for the staffing challenges in the city…