All quiet on Day 1 for Inverness' finest
No calls, no stops, no speeders, no lost dogs to recover.
Inverness police Chief Bob Haas didn't even encounter a pedestrian on his first official patrol since the department officially began operations at noon Thursday.
It was the first of what could likely be many uneventful shifts - a welcome change of pace for a veteran force that hails from several of the area's more active departments.
"We won't see the big stuff day-to-day in a smaller town," Haas, a former Palatine deputy police chief, said from behind the wheel of a new Ford Crown Victoria squad car. "I'll take quiet all day."
Inverness is a mainly residential town of about 7,000 people with three parks, one school, one country club and a colonial-inspired office park featuring a bank and nursing care facility.
The lack of retail business is partly the reason Inverness cut ties with Barrington after more than 30 years of Barrington providing policing to Inverness. Officials said they couldn't justify the five-year, $10.1 million deal Barrington offered, when starting Inverness' own department would cost $1.3 million less over that same period, a consultant estimated.
Haas, 50, said some of the 12 full-time officers, who boast 355 combined years in law enforcement, didn't spend much time on the street as managers at their former departments. That won't be the case in Inverness, where the objective is to be seen in the community.
"To be a founding officer of a new police department is a rare opportunity," said Sgt. Ted Adamczyk, a former Mount Prospect police commander. "This is something we'll pass off to future generations."
Housed across the street from village hall on Baldwin Road, the police station feels more like a home, with hardwood floors and banisters. There aren't any holding cells, as prisoners will be sent to Barrington Hills' lockup. Palatine will provide vehicle maintenance, and officers have used Mount Prospect's shooting range for training.
By the time his shift ended Thursday evening, Haas had spent the day with many residents who'd stopped by to wish the department luck or to give notice of an upcoming vacation. One man complained about speeders in his neighborhood.
But that first 911 call still hadn't come in, leaving the remaining officers anxiously waiting.
"These guys are so enthusiastic," Haas said. "It's refreshing."
Inverness police, by the numbers
• New force serves about 7,000 residents and 2,300 households in 6.5 square miles
• 12 full-time officers
• 1 part-time officer
• 355 combined years law enforcement experience
• $1.5 million annual budget
• Three marked squad cars, one unmarked car
• Two to six officers on duty at all times; officers work 10-hours shifts