Study: Pingree police doing well
A study that Pingree Grove recently ordered on how best to restructure its police department shows the village already is on the right track.
The $20,000 study, conducted by the Lake Bluff-based PAR Group and unveiled to village trustees Monday night, recommends six things for the village -- many of which it's already doing.
Pingree Grove police now are responsible for everything after the county's initial response to emergency calls: arrests, evidence collection, crime scene processing and supplying all the equipment it takes to do all that.
Kane County previously handled those duties, but has announced that the village is now on its own.
The cutbacks have village officials considering whether to turn the six-member, part-time police force into a full-time operation, something the study was meant to address.
The study suggests the village:
• Act quickly to provide round-the-clock village police coverage.
• Hire a full-time police chief -- which the village was expected to do Monday night with current Chief Carol Lussky, said Village President Clint Carey.
"If it does pass, which is my expectation, she would be coming on Feb 1 full time," Carey said.
• Evaluate its mix of full- and part-time police officers, something that was already done, Carey said.
• Assign part-time officers to the times they're needed, not just to the times they're available. Carey said this is coming up in the future.
• Keep residents involved when it comes to ensuring they play an active role in the police department's development. Officials have planned a forum this Friday at village hall to include the public.
The study cautions that the village keep these things in mind "with some uncertainty about how to pay for the department."
Carey said he envisions saving money by putting Lussky on as a full-timer with Sgt. Shawn Beane to follow sometime this year.
Everyone else would remain part-time until the village collects money from upcoming retail opportunities and the new police station opens, Carey said.
"We're really trying to run a mix that runs a little bit heavy to part-time officers," he said.