Ex-Hoffman police chief takes over at Libertyville

Former Hoffman Estates Police Chief Clinton J. Herdegen will take over as the new police chief in Libertyville.

Herdegen, who stepped down as the chief in the Cook County suburb on Sept. 30, is expected to be sworn in by the Libertyville village board on Oct. 12. His first official day on the job will be Oct. 18, officials said.

Libertyville village officials said they accepted 52 applications for police chief, and an interview team reduced that number to 10. Five candidates received a second interview, and Herdegen was selected based on his 29 years of experience in Hoffman Estates.

"His experience as a chief for 12 years and having to deal with the same issues there as we are experiencing in Libertyville like the impact of the economy and some regional communication issues helped him stand out among the other candidates," Village Manager Kevin Bowens said Monday. "We were fortunate to have a lot of good applicants."

Attempts to reach Herdegen were unsuccessful Monday.

Herdegen is a graduate of Louis University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal social justice. He's also a graduate of Northwestern University Traffic Institute of Police Staff and Command.

He is president of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, a board member of the Northwest Police Academy and a member of the Northwest Central Dispatch System Executive Committee.

Herdegen, 50, accepted an early retirement buyout package from Hoffman Estates in August and officially retired Sept. 30.

Before his retirement in Hoffman Estates, Herdegen helped oversee the construction of a new police station in July, and led the department through layoffs due to a loss of revenue during lean economic times.

He will be paid $130,000 annually in Libertyville, while also collecting an early-retirement pension from Hoffman Estates.

Before leaving Hoffman Estates, Herdegen told officials he would turn up again, but would not disclose where.

Bowens said Deputy Chief Bob Koval did an outstanding job as acting chief for the past six months, and was one of the final people in the application process.

"It was a tough decision for the board," Bowens said. "Bob has done an excellent job and has a great career here in Libertyville."

Koval took over on an interim basis when former chief Pat Carey retired in April.