Kruger jumps into Oak Brook police chief job

James Kruger completed his first week as Oak Brook’s new police chief, and already has a list of things he’d like to accomplish.

Although the week “went by in a blink of an eye,” Kruger, 50, has his laundry list: Reinstating the citizens police academy; facilitating a consolidation of dispatch services; and preparing an assessment for the village board on whether to reorganize the police department.

Oak Brook is set to join DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM) next summer, switching its 911 services from a village operation to the regional agency. Kruger said he has the experience to ease that transition after serving as Roselle’s police chief when the village opted to consolidate in 2009.

“The community will not see any decrease in service,” Kruger insists.

In addition, Kruger said a citizens police academy would bring awareness about what police officers do, an opportunity for citizens to volunteer with the department and, ultimately, transparency.

“I’ve always run an open shop,” he said.

Kruger replaces former Chief Thomas Sheahan, who resigned in April after receiving a vote of no confidence from union police officers in February. They claimed the police department suffered from a morale problem because of Sheahan’s “arbitrary and selective” discipline.

To Kruger, the department — with a staff of 38 sworn officers — is anxious for new leadership.

“I think they’ve been very eager for change of the culture within the organization,” he said. “What I bring to the organization is an assurance that expectations will be high.”

Kruger has more than 25 years in law enforcement, including two decades with the Carpentersville Police Department. There, he rose from patrol officer to police commander until 2004, when he became Winfield’s chief of police. In 2006, he was Roselle’s chief. He began his career as a sworn officer in Louisiana at 18.

In Oak Brook, a village with a population of almost 8,000 residents that explodes with workers in commercial buildings and shoppers at Oakbrook Center mall, Kruger wants a collaborative approach to services with officers treating each other as partners.

So in the immediate weeks, he’ll be sitting down one-on-one with the entire staff.

“It’ll just be getting to know each other,” he said.

Village President Gopal Lalmalani appointed Kruger with unanimous village board approval on Oct. 25. A national search to fill the $125,000-a-year position yielded almost 140 candidates.

Lalmalani applauded Kruger’s professionalism and, in particular, his experience teaching criminal justice at Judson University in Elgin.

“He’s not only a police officer on the streets,” Lalmalani said, “but he likes to educate people.”