Elk Grove Village hires Barrington’s police chief

Elk Grove Village officials have hired their new police chief away from Barrington.

David Dorn, who has spent a decade at the helm of the Barrington Police Department, will take over the same role in Elk Grove effective April 1, officials announced.

Dorn’s hiring to the $185,000-a-year position comes about a year after the departure of Chuck Walsh, who became director of safety and security in Lake Forest school districts 115 and 67.

Fire Chief Rich Mikel has been serving as director of police since then, in what was intended to be a coaching and mentoring role to the police department's command staff — with the goal of potentially promoting one of the two deputy police chiefs to the top job.

But in the end, village officials decided to go with an external candidate from another Northwest suburb. The national search yielded more than 30 applicants, including one from as far as Texas, said Mayor Craig Johnson.

The mayor said Dorn received the unanimous endorsement of the village board and a hiring committee that included former Deputy Police Chief Larry Hammer and Fire and Police Commission Chairman Steve Scholten. Johnson said he also talked to Barrington Village President Karen Darch, who spoke highly of Dorn.

“I think we have a winner here,” Johnson said at the village board meeting Tuesday night.

In a news release, Elk Grove officials pointed to Dorn’s oversight of Barrington’s transition to the Northwest Central Dispatch System, and leadership of regional and state associations, including time on the executive board of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and president of the North Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police.

Dorn has spent his 25-year law enforcement career in Barrington, and now says he looks forward to many years in Elk Grove. Dorn, his wife of 21 years, and their nine children — ages 5 to 20 — plan to move to Elk Grove in the next 18 months.

“It became very clear to me going through the process that everybody involved that I interviewed with — that you truly care for your village,” Dorn said. “It was really great to see. That’s truly a village that I am coming from, and that’s truly a village that I want to be a part of.”

Barrington officials on Wednesday confirmed the personnel move.

“His leadership has been instrumental in developing strong community relations and establishing a culture that prioritizes safety and exceptional service,” according to a village statement. “While we are sad to see him leave, we are grateful for the time he has spent in Barrington and we wish him well in his new role.”

· Daily Herald staff writer Steve Zalusky contributed to this report.