Dollars may not drive Hainesville police decision

Money alone won't be the deciding factor on whether the Hainesville Police Department is closed and replaced by an outside contractor, village officials say.

Hainesville trustees and Mayor Linda Soto are exploring whether to keep the 2-year-old police force, in part, because revised figures show it would cost about $1.5 million in the 2010-11 budget year for staffing and construction of a station.

Soto said police cannot continue operating from village hall. At a Tuesday town hall meeting for residents, Soto told the crowd the police don't even have proper evidence facilities or locker rooms.

Two neighboring villages and the Lake County sheriff's office have submitted proposals to patrol Hainesville around the clock every day for less cost.

Complete police costs would be $757,431 with Grayslake and $705,618 through the sheriff. Round Lake Park, which covered Hainesville from 1999 to 2008, is offering to police the village for $540,000 to $583,000 annually.

However, some trustees who spoke toward the end of Tuesday's town hall session at Northbrook Sports Club in the village said financial and emotional components will go into a final decisions about police service.

Trustee Georgeann Duberstein said she needs to know how many officers would be allocated to Hainesville with the potentially less-expensive police service contract. She said she wants police who would be loyal to Hainesville.

Another trustee, Kevin Barrett, said it's worth considering the Hainesville officers' personal touch cited by many in the crowd of 150 at the town hall session who urged the village to keep the department.

"Hainesville is a very blue collar/working-type community," Barrett said. "We take great pride in our town."

All residents and businesses received a survey on the police issue in January. Officials said 1,378 surveys were distributed and 368 were returned as of Feb. 20.

Of the respondents, 111 wanted to keep the Hainesville police, 165 selected Grayslake and 73 favored the sheriff's office. Round Lake Park's proposal was not issued when the survey went out.

Some residents questioned why Hainesville officials are considering shutting the police department. Trustee Gerry Daley replied that promises were made in the April 2009 election that police service would be reviewed in response to resident concerns.

"I can swear to you, there is no hidden agenda," Daley told the crowd.

Soto said it's hoped a decision on the police force will be made by the end of March. Hainesville has an interim chief, sergeant and three full-time officers augmented by eight part-time cops.

All of the police employees have been kept abreast of the situation, Soto said. She said some type of compensation package would be provided to the police if the village decides to contract for its police service.

Hainesville launched its own police department in 2008 after a dispute over service costs arose with Round Lake Park. Soto said Hainesville might discuss Round Lake Park's offer to patrol the village again at a meeting March 9.

State requirements revised in 1999 forced Hainesville to shut its part-time police department. Instead of paying for officers to undergo more training as mandated, Hainesville opted to link with Round Lake Park.