Barrington Police Chief Libit to retire in May

Barrington Police Chief Jerry Libit will retire May 31 after nearly 32 years with the police department and more than four as its chief.

Assistant Police Chief David Dorn will become acting chief for an indefinite period and will be in line for the permanent position. No search for outside candidates for the permanent position is being planned, Village Manager Jeff Lawler said, and Dorn will not have a deputy chief for the time being.

The pension system doesn’t create major incentives for police officers to work long beyond 30 years on the job and 55 years of age, but Libit said his decision to retire is one he reached relatively recently.

He began working as a Barrington police officer in July 1981 and spent his entire law enforcement career there, moving up through five different ranks.

Libit was deputy chief when Inverness broke off its contract for police service from Barrington in 2009, inspiring some early retirement incentives to help reduce the size of the department.

One of the early retirees was Lawler, who was then police chief. Libit succeeded him on May 1, 2009, and just a couple of weeks later Lawler was called in to be considered for the recently vacated position of village manager.

While it was typical for the police chief to have a designated second-in-command, Libit never had one until Dorn’s promotion from sergeant in January.

Though Libit’s retirement was not foreseen at the time of Dorn’s promotion, Lawler said the chief had indicated a desire to put in place a mechanism for a smooth transition when he decided to step down.