Officers: Kildeer trying to fold police department

Kildeer police officers are concerned layoffs are being used in an effort to eliminate the village's police department, and contract for service from the Lake County sheriff's office.

An attorney for some of Kildeer's officers said this week the three latest layoffs, coming in April, compound their belief the village wants to close the department entirely.

Kildeer officials deny the allegation, and David Godlewski, chief of operations for the Lake County sheriff, said Wednesday no one from Kildeer has contacted the office about taking over police service.

Godlewski assembles proposals for municipalities that are considering cutting their police departments in favor of contracting with the sheriff's office.

Three Kildeer police officers are to be laid off in late April, bringing the number of cuts to 11 since November.

The new layoffs, attributed to a projected shortfall of at least $459,000 in the 2012-13 budget, were announced in a memorandum from Police Chief Louis Rossi distributed March 23.

Kildeer will be left with seven full-time officers, but two are expected to be on disability leave when the next layoffs occur.

Attorney Keith Hunt first raised the issue of Kildeer having “an ultimate goal to eliminate” the police department and contract with the sheriff in a now-settled lawsuit he filed on behalf of six officers against the village last November.

The suit was an attempt to block the first eight layoffs, which came after Deer Park canceled its contract for police coverage from Kildeer.

Hunt said this week the three additional layoffs support the idea Kildeer wants to close the police department, because no one thinks they can run an effective department with only five officers.

“That is certainly the concern the police officers themselves have,” he said.

Village Administrator Michael Talbett said Wednesday Kildeer isn't planning to eliminate the police department in favor of contracted service. He said the village is installing a new telephone system that includes police operations and is preparing to negotiate a new contract with the officers' union.

“These steps are inconsistent with the theories you're hearing,” Talbett said.

The lawsuit — which was settled in January — stated Kildeer has tried to retaliate for the officers joining the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police in 2009.

In the suit, the officers charge that Kildeer purposely did not assign enough officers to handle Deer Park as was required by contract.

Kildeer officers “on more than one occasion” voiced concern about insufficient staffing for Deer Park with Rossi and others, the suit stated.

Rossi declined to comment Wednesday.

When Deer Park broke its contract with Kildeer and signed up with the Lake County sheriff, Deer Park officials said Kildeer breached the contract by not providing promised service levels.

Deer Park would have paid $1.45 million to Kildeer in the fourth year of the deal that was to run through April 30, 2013.

The village of Kildeer, Mayor Nandia Black, Talbett and Rossi were named in the suit.

Talbett denied the suit's accusation that he and Black had undertaken “a course of conduct” to ensure Kildeer wouldn't fulfill its deal with Deer Park and create a need for officer layoffs.

When the lawsuit was settled in January it resulted in the dismissal of Deputy Police Chief Dwight Arrowood. Arrowood joined the department in 2007 as an officer, and was promoted to deputy chief before the layoffs.

Kildeer officials were accused of creating the deputy chief position for Arrowood in November 2011 so he could avoid being cut.

Arrowood's promotion, however, violated a state statute requiring a minimum five years of employment with a municipality to be eligible for such a promotion, court documents state.

Officer Clarence Kropp, who was among the eight laid off last November, was recalled to fill Arrowood's spot March 14.

Kropp, who declined to comment, is among the three officers scheduled to be laid off April 29.