New chief says Gliniewicz is in Fox Lake's past
The Fox Lake Police Department has put the scandals surrounding the crimes and suicide of Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz in its past, new Chief Jimmy Lee said Wednesday, one day after being sworn in as the village's top law enforcement officer.
"We, as an organization, have put the whole thing behind us," he said. "We don't even talk about it. Instead, we are moving forward and looking to the future."
Lee, 56, spent 28 years with the Roselle Police Department, before he joined the Fox Lake police force last year in the wake of the Gliniewicz case. He replaces Interim Chief Russell Laine, who announced his retirement in May.
Lee brings 30 years of experience to the helm of the police department, village officials said. He started as a patrol officer and worked his way up to deputy chief and acting police chief in Roselle.
He temporarily left police work to found Gold Shield Investigations, which later was hired by Fox Lake in 2015 to conduct several internal investigations. He was appointed the department's interim-deputy chief in January 2016.
Lee said his focus is enhancing community relationships and modernizing the police department.
"We've done a lot of work internally to modernize the department," he said. "Now, we want to reach out to businesses and volunteer groups going forward."
Laine and Lee were brought in to provide stability to a department that was under the national microscope after it was determined Gliniewicz killed himself in September 2015 to cover up his embezzlement from a police youth group.
Since taking over, Laine and Lee worked to restructure the department, increase officer training, and revise dated policies and practices, officials said.
Lee said he signed a three-year contract with the village.