Prospect Heights rehires police officers

Three Prospect Heights police officers returned to work Tuesday morning after the city council approved a new contract in a meeting Monday night.

According to Prospect Heights Mayor Nick Helmer, the contract calls for hiring five police officers — two full-time and three part-time — and requires that positions be offered first to the six police officers that were laid off in November 2010.

For two years Prospect Heights police officers have been working without a contract. The new contract does not include any cuts to salaries or benefits and allows for the hiring of part-time officers, Helmer said.

Finding the money to pay for the police officers came down to reworking the budget, Helmer said. By eliminating overtime for police officers necessitated by being short-staffed, the department will be able to save enough to almost cover the cost of two full-time police officers.

With additional income from new liquor and building licenses, as well as additional sales tax coming from new commercial activity, it is projected that $300,000 will be added to the city's bottom line. Helmer also said it helped that the state withdrew its threat to discontinue Prospect Heights' distributive funding from the state income tax, adding $400,000 to the budget that the council was not positive would be there.

This additional income has made it possible to rehire police officers without having to make cuts in other departments, Helmer said.

Police Chief Jamie Dunne said the department is holding off on filling the two other part-time positions. Since most of the revenue growth is projected, Dunne said, the department first wants to ensure that everything goes as planned.

“As we grow, we have to be responsible,” Dunne said. “We have to ensure it's growth that we can maintain.”

All six laid-off officers were previously full-time employees. Part-time officers do not receive benefits like health insurance and pensions, and make about 50 percent less than full-time officers, city officials said. Some of those laid off are still unemployed or are working only part-time, Dunne said.

Police officers were laid off after an arbitrator ruled that the city couldn't unilaterally impose 30 furlough days a year without violating the union contract. The city had imposed furloughs on all employees as a money-saving measure.

Helmer said he is happy to have reached a solution less than 30 days since taking office. He said he believes the previous turmoil was due to poor communication with the union.

“We have to look forward,” he said. “The situation we have now is a good answer — not the perfect answer. We would like more (officers) come back full time.”