Influential former Elgin police chief dies
When Paul McCurtain finished his training to become Elgin police officer in 1976, the chief called him into his office and personally handed him his badge.
Elgin Chief Robert L. Baird, as he did with all new officers, then remarked on how the star was shiny and clean.
"(Baird) said 'Don't tarnish it.' I always remembered that," recalled McCurtain, who spent 18 years on the force.
Baird, who served as Elgin police chief from 1972 to 1989, died last week at the age of 80.
Family members and former colleagues said Baird, a U.S. Army veteran who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the reserves, was a hardworking, honest man who cared about his community and wasn't afraid to try new law enforcement techniques.
Frances Baird, who married Robert in 1951, said her husband "didn't like the way things were run and the shenanigans" at the Waukesha County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department, so he took a leave of absence and ran for the sheriff. He won in 1964 and served four, two-year terms before moving to Elgin.
When her husband received a fruit basket after having a heart attack in his 40s, Baird said, he had her take the basket to a local home for troubled youths to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
"He was probably the most honest politician you'll ever meet in your life. He never took a dime," she said. "People would come in and want their tickets fixed. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't do it for his own mother."
He served on the board of directors of the Elgin United Way, YMCA and Renz Addiction and Counseling Center.
As a cop, Baird saw the worst in humanity so he needed to see the good side as well, Frances Baird said.
McCurtain, now the accreditation manager for the St. Charles Police Department, said Baird frequently would attend law enforcement seminars and conferences, passing new tips and techniques to shift commanders and the rank and file.
"He was always looking to find new ways to do the job," McCurtain said. "He wasn't afraid to experiment."
Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, leading up to a 7 p.m. memorial service at the Laird Funeral Home, 310 S. State St., Elgin. Burial with honors will be in Prairie Home Cemetery, Waukesha.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations made payable to the Robert L. Baird Scholarship Fund, 23 Weston Court, South Elgin, 60177.
Baird's son, Tom, said the annual scholarship will be awarded to an Elginite pursuing a career in law enforcement.