L. Robert (Rob) Russell: 2024 candidate for Kane County Coroner

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: Kane County Coroner

City: Hampshire

Age: 57

Occupation: Coroner

Previous offices held: Current Kane County Coroner since 2012

Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running for reelection to continue the successful changes that my team and I have accomplished. I do not like unfinished projects. Although we have made incredible strides with the office over the last 12 years, there is still more to be done. The establishment of a fully functional forensic laboratory is the current project. Seeing the successful steps being done in real time motivates me to keep going.

At some point, all of my efforts will be exhausted to the level of my capabilities. When that happens, it will be time to move on. We are not there yet, so I must continue to move forward with positive change.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

The Kane County Coroner's Office (KCCO) has had many improvements as an office over the last 12 years.

Upon becoming coroner in 2012, we had to repair many relationships associated with the KCCO (police, fire, funeral homes, general public). Eventually, we solidified our policies, procedures and relationships by becoming the first accredited coroner's office in Illinois. This certification is a very vulnerable process. After suggested changes, we passed the audit twice (in 2014 and 2020) with a 100% score.

Attaining accreditation prepared us to successfully negotiate the KCCO through a mass shooting (2019) and a global pandemic (2020). It also helped us obtain over $2 million in federal, state and local grants. We were also able to justify a new facility, successfully negotiate three separate union contracts, and begin the process of the forensic laboratory.

What special experience and professional qualifications does a person need to be an effective coroner? What experiences and qualifications do you possess that will provide a foundation for your success in the office?

Contrary to widespread misconception, the Coroner's Office System in Illinois is a law enforcement office, not a medical office. Medical needs of the office are performed by an outside hired forensic pathologist (a M.D.), not the coroner. 55 ILCS 5/3-3014 states that a coroner is NOT ALLOWED to perform an autopsy in his/her own office's investigation, so medical experience is OK, but not a real benefit to the duties of the office. LE experience is much more relevant.

My qualifications include over 31 years of law enforcement experience, 12 of which are specialized in death investigation and 20 which are police based. I have multiple training hours and certifications as well as a MA in Political and Justice Studies, which helps me navigate through the political aspect of the job. I also have experience in national disasters (Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 2005), a mass shooting (2019), and the global pandemic (2020).

Describe your position regarding the allocation of resources in the coroner's office. Are personnel allocated as they should be? Are there capital expenses or other budgetary items that the office must address, and, if so, how do you propose to address them?

Budgeting for the KCCO is a difficult process. We have rules and guidelines to follow such as union contracts, mandatory autopsy standards, and the following of industry best practices, to keep us insulated from civil liability.

Overall, the process is highly dependent on a prediction that may or may not be correct. Over the last 12 years, we have been correct with our prediction, and sometimes a little off. There is no real way to know exactly how many people are going to pass, and no way to predict what level of resources are needed with that obscure number.

That determination cannot be predicted until we actually get the circumstances surrounding the death. It is a game-time decision that is based on factual information known at the time and on accreditation standards. Over the last 12 years, my team and I have done an excellent job of allocating expected resources based on past trends, and for the most part, have been accurate. Capital expense is done on a project basis.

Describe your position on transparency and public service in the coroner's office and the ease of access to records by the public. If you believe improvements are needed, what are they and how would you go about achieving them?

We follow all the rules. We utilize the process of FOIA when and where appropriate. When it comes to the victim’s families, we always give them the information first. Because the events are typically tragic in nature, we feel it the compassionate thing to do. Other members of the public are released information after the investigation is completed, per legal FOIA request.

I have a primary and a secondary person assigned to this task to ensure that the release of information is done in a timely fashion. Information requested before the investigation is completed will not be released, as that is standard and vital to the ongoing investigation.

Please describe your philosophy about working with the media to get information to the public.

I have a great working relationship with the media. I really try to give appropriate information in a timely manner. I try to be fair by issuing a press release so that all media outlets get the information at the same time. Sometimes we have difficulty in reaching the next of kin and it may appear that we are sitting on information that should be out.

If that is the case, it is either because the information may be relevant to the police investigation or we have not yet been able to contact the family. Most media outlets agree that no family member should hear or read about the tragic death of their loved ones and understand. I have always been accessible to media outlets if they contact me.