Police chiefs denounce probe into Brown's investigation

First published: August 21, 1996 Section: News

Edition: Cook,Lake

Page: 12

The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police is denouncing a probe by two civic groups of the handling of the Brown's Chicken murders investigation. The group passed a resolution condemning the Better Government Association and the Chicago Crime Commission for interfering with police work to solve the seven murders, which occurred Jan. 8, 1993, in Palatine.

The police chiefs organization said the BGA and the crime commission have no legal authority to probe ongoing criminal matters and "should immediately end this ill-advised and wasteful investigation."

Palatine Village President Rita Mullins said the resolution reaffirmed her faith in the task force spearheading the investigation and her town's police department.

"I find it very gratifying that a professional organization completely unsolicited by the village of Palatine came out with this resolution," she said.

The BGA and the crime commission "have done their best to erode that faith and damage the respect we have for the task force," she said.

Mundelein Police Chief Ray Rose, third vice president of the chiefs association, said outside probes aren't the way to investigate police work. Instead, such probes should be conducted by the FBI, the Illinois State Police or other official groups, he said.

Terrence Brunner, executive director of the BGA, said for a police chief to suggest that only local governments have the authority to question police operations is unrealistic.

"I think they need to send these chiefs back to eighth-grade civics class for a lesson on the Constitution," Brunner said.

The chiefs association resolution is "a little silly on its face because groups like the Better Government Association and Chicago Crime Commission are much older and have a greater presence in communities than the Illinois Association of Police Chiefs," he said.

The BGA was founded in 1923 to investigate corruption and local governments' use of tax dollars, Brunner said.

"And they certainly used a lot of tax dollars," he said.