Hainesville hires Grayslake to take over police patrols

In a move touted to save taxpayers' money, Grayslake police were selected Tuesday night to provide around-the-clock patrol service and replace the 2-year-old Hainesville department.

Hainesville is expected to save about $300,000 this year by purchasing police service from Grayslake. Some officials have expressed concern about state funding and other revenue sources declining for Hainesville's roughly $2.92 million budget.

Grayslake topped a competing bid from the Lake County sheriff's office to win the three-year Hainesville contract recommended by Mayor Linda Soto. The village board voted 5-1 in favor of Grayslake, with Trustee Kevin Barrett the lone dissenter.

Barrett questioned how Grayslake will handle a fifth patrol beat created for Hainesville without hiring more officers. He also said he believed the sheriff's office would have provided more resources to Hainesville than Grayslake.

"I don't have a warm and fuzzy for Grayslake," Barrett said after Tuesday's meeting.

Soto said Grayslake will gain the necessary patrol staffing by offering overtime to police officers. The mayor and other proponents said Grayslake's proximity to Hainesville, the similarity of the towns and a better price gave it the edge over the sheriff's office.

"I want to assure everyone we'll actually have better coverage than we have now," Hainesville Trustee Georgeann Duberstein said.

Soto said it's hoped Grayslake can assume 24-hour police duties in Hainesville around July 15.

Hainesville's total annual police bill with Grayslake will be about $712,000, including dispatching fees. Soto said the first-year patrol cost alone will be $596,000, along with a $25,000 startup fee.

Lake County's total first-year cost was pegged at $791,566. A sheriff's deputy would have been assigned exclusively to Hainesville, along with the agency allowing access to canine units and other services.

Hainesville Police Chief Wallace Frasier reiterated Tuesday it would cost $1.1 million this year to keep the department. He said extra costs would have been necessary to move into staffing with full-time officers who receive benefits.

In addition, the Hainesville police would have moved from village hall into a rented building. Soto and other officials have cited a lack of proper evidence storage areas and locker rooms for the police at village hall.

Hainesville's 2-year-old police department was effectively put on a path to elimination in mid-April when Soto gained approval to negotiate for the contracted patrol service after she broke a 3-3 village board vote on the issue.

Along with Frasier, Hainesville has a sergeant and three full-time officers augmented by eight part-time cops.

Round Lake Park policed Hainesville from 1999 to 2008, but a money squabble ended the relationship. Hainesville then started its own police department.

State requirements revised in 1999 forced Hainesville to shut its part-time department. Instead of paying for officers to undergo more training, the village opted to link with Round Lake Park.

Patrols: Hainesville only had own force for 2 years