After no-confidence vote from officers, Wheeling police chief to step down
Wheeling Police Chief Jamie Dunne will retire this summer after nine years leading the department, the village announced Wednesday.
Dunne’s decision comes nearly a month after most of the department’s unionized patrol officers signed a letter formally declaring they’d lost confidence in his leadership.
The letter accused Dunne of undermining department readiness by cutting training, improperly changing the department’s field training program, misusing funds, discouraging officers from taking overtime pay and other unfavorable actions.
Wheeling officials investigated every allegation and found them baseless, Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said.
“The village … strongly refutes each of them,” Sfondilis said. “The village has found there to be no wrongdoing by the chief.”
No disciplinary action has been taken, he added.
Dunne didn’t specifically mention the no-confidence vote in the two-page retirement letter he sent Sfondilis on Tuesday. But he wrote he’s confident “history will judge my actions fairly.”
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Dunne said the vote isn’t the primary reason he’s stepping down. The 63-year-old said he’s been a cop for 45 years — 15 more than he initially intended — and that “it’s just time” to focus on his wife, kids and grandchildren.
“Now it’s their time,” Dunne said.
Sfondilis insisted the chief isn’t being forced out. Dunne’s professionalism and commitment to law enforcement and the village are “largely responsible for the department’s reputation for excellence,” Sfondilis said.
Dunne’s retirement will be effective July 4.
Dunne was named Wheeling’s top cop in January 2016. He previously served four years as police chief in Prospect Heights, following 30 years with the Buffalo Grove Police Department.
Dunne cited several accomplishments in his retirement letter, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding Wheeling’s police dog and social service programs, and responding to national discussions about law enforcement practices.
He also touted the decision to close the department’s 911 center and join the Northwest Central Dispatch service as well as the department’s efforts to strengthen relationships with schools.
Dunne closed his letter by thanking Sfondilis and the village’s elected officials “for their unwavering support and trust throughout my tenure.”
Dunne’s positive note countered the Feb. 20 missive to village officials from the Metropolitan Alliance of Police — the labor group that represents Wheeling’s patrol officers — about the no-confidence vote. The letter was signed by 35 officers.
Village President Pat Horcher on Wednesday said he was “completely surprised” by the no-confidence vote. He praised Dunne for embracing modern policing philosophies and embedding them in the department’s operations.
“His policies helped to gain the public trust, keep our officers safe in the line of duty and shield the department from frivolous lawsuits,” Horcher said in a prepared statement. “It will be hard to find someone to continue the exemplary course he has established.”
Hiring a police chief is the village manager’s responsibility in Wheeling, and Sfondilis said a regional search for Dunne’s successor will begin immediately. A company that specializes in such searches will oversee the task, he said.