Hainesville considers its own police department

While Hainesville mulled creating its own police department Tuesday, the Lake County sheriff's office was busy making its case to provide law enforcement coverage for the village.

Sheriff Mark Curran touted his department as the finest in Lake County and promised the village board he could provide affordable, comprehensive coverage to Hainesville.

"I promise you we would do a good job," Curran said. "If you do not contract with us, we would have to pick up patrol, but we would encourage a contract because I think we could be more responsive to what the citizens' needs would be."

As of Feb. 10, Hainesville's eight-year relationship with the Round Lake Park Police Department will end, leaving the village with the task of either finding a new department to contract with or creating its own.

During a special Saturday meeting held earlier this month, Mayor Ted Mueller said he hopes to create a village police department and have it up and running by February.

On Tuesday, following dozens of public comments urging the board members to take it slow and consider all of their options, Mueller said his ambitious timeline would need to be amended.

"On a three-year average, I think we can come relatively close to what we would be paying the sheriff if we did it ourselves," Mueller said. "This decision will not be made tonight. I'm going to carefully consider the option of going with the sheriff."

A contract with the sheriff's office would include one squad car designated for the village.

For 8.5 hours of coverage per day, the cost would be $251,049 the first year.

For 17 hours per day ,the cost would be $502,098 the first year.

For full 24-hour coverage, the first-year cost would be $717,669.

Sheriff's office business manager Kevin Lyons said the cost would go down after the first year, because year one includes the cost of a squad car.

Since 1999, Hainesville has paid Round Lake Park for its police services, but problems arose late last year after Round Lake Park claimed Hainesville was not paying its fair share. The dispute is currently in litigation.

"We're not going to leave you high and dry," said Richard Eckenstahler, chief of operations for the sheriff's office. "Working together, we can probably work something out within your economic needs that will get you the best policing service so you never feel unsafe."

About 50 people attended Tuesday's meeting, with many residents raising questions about the village's ability to run its own department.

Mueller angered many residents when he said he would not hold a town hall-style meeting to make the decision, or pose the question to voters.

"This is not the government we elected," resident Douglas Raul Williams said. "We asked for transparency. This is not a small decision here. This is something that can push people into foreclosure."

Said resident Dan Myers: "Now I know why I haven't been to a board meeting (in a long time).

"I'm working 12 hours a day, six days a week just to put food on the table. I want to know what I'm going to be paying for."