Laid-off police could find home in Hanover Park

With many municipalities still having to lay off police officers due to dwindling budgets, Hanover Park is establishing a temporary alternative hiring process that will tap into that pool of candidates.

The village board on Thursday approved an ordinance that creates separate standing lists for both untrained officers and laid-off officers in good standing. The department hopes to take advantage of the fact that the latter group already went through basic training and has experience.

That could save the village about $6,000 per candidate for basic training costs and decrease the amount of time they're available for duty by up to 16 weeks. And because most laid-off officers lack seniority, they wouldn't have a higher salary than someone fresh out of the police academy. Village Manager Ron Moser could still fill a vacancy from either of the eligibility lists.

The concept is especially pertinent to Hanover Park, which hopes to grow its force from 57 to 61 officers by next April - assuming the funds are there.

Meanwhile, the department is a step closer to its long-awaited, $19 million police station now that demolition work has begun to the Mid-America Water Treatment buildings on Lake Street. The tentative deal reached Wednesday with one of the striking contractors unions allowed some crews to get back to work. The site is expected to be clear by late next week.

Hanover Park is now in the process of preparing its next bid package so that construction can begin by early September. Public Works Director Howard Killian said certain "wish list" components of the police station - an indoor parking garage for patrol vehicles being the biggest - may have to be removed in order to keep construction costs under $15 million.

However, he's hopeful the design won't have to be altered or less expensive materials used because proposed pricing on other projects is coming in 10 to 14 percent less than expected.

Officials expect construction to wrap up in late 2011.