S. Barrington adding cops despite denial of grant

South Barrington's failure to win a federal grant to pay for additional officers will not interrupt its plan to add a full patrol shift to its police force before the end of the year.

Not a single police department in the West, North or Northwest suburbs received federal money, but South Barrington had actually begun expansion plans seemingly contingent on getting it.

However, Police Chief Mike Deegan said he's been assured there will be no change in direction in the planned addition of four new officers already in progress.

The village board voted in May to hire two officers as soon as possible, with the idea that a decision about two more could be made in October when news about the federal grant was expected.

Deegan said four officers are needed for a shift, and that it's logistically difficult to add a shift with fewer officers. It was always intended that part-time officers could fill out the new shift during the short period between the first and second pair of full-timers being sworn in.

A push by trustees for additional officers was driven by a rash of home break-ins in the winter and early spring. But Village President Frank Munao was concerned by the financial issues raised and advocated patience until the first property taxes from new homes and businesses were collected in the fall.

Though it was anticipated Munao might veto a measure to add four officers all at once, he was pleased by the compromise of adding two officers immediately and waiting until the fall to add two more.

Despite losing out on this round of federal money, Munao wasn't convinced that the door was completely shut on a second round. And the village is now closer than in May to finding out what its take will be from new property taxes from The Woods subdivision and The Arboretum shopping center, Munao said.

Deegan said he's certain all four new full-timers be in place by the end of the year and the part-timers filling out the added patrol shift will stand down.