John D. Idleburg: 2026 candidate for Lake County sheriff

Bio

Office sought: Lake County sheriff

City: Zion

Age: 70

Party: Democrat

Previous offices held: Lake County sheriff

Q&A

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

Lake County is my home, and serving as Sheriff has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I’m running again because I believe in our team and the progress we’ve made since 2018.

I took office determined to make our Sheriff’s Office more proactive, strengthen community relationships, improve mental health response, and give employees the tools to succeed. We’ve followed through.

We refocused our Special Investigations Group on drug, gun, and human trafficking, expanded our K9 Unit, and strengthened our Marine Unit. In 2019, I created the Criminal Justice Community Council, which I continue to chair, to bring law enforcement, courts, and community voices together.

We expanded COaST, connecting thousands of people in crisis with services and earning a 2024 National Association of Counties Achievement Award. We’ve also expanded jail education, job training, and reentry programs to help people return to our communities with a better chance of success.

Every child rescued, illegal gun removed, and person helped matters. I’m proud of what our staff has accomplished and want to keep building on it with professional, accountable law enforcement for Lake County.

What would you bring to the position and what would your priority be?

I bring decades of public service and nearly eight years leading Lake County’s largest law enforcement agency.

I served in the U.S. Marine Corps, then as a Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy, Great Lakes Police detective, Department of Defense Special Investigator, and Treasury Department Special Agent. Today I lead more than 500 employees across patrol, investigations, corrections, court security, records, civil process, and communications.

In 2020, Governor Pritzker appointed me to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. I now serve as Vice Chairman and chair its Finance and Legislative Committee, helping shape statewide standards.

Training remains a priority. When I took office, 34% of deputies had Crisis Intervention Team training. By 2021, that training reached 99% of our agency. We also adopted a duty-to-intervene policy before state law required it.

My priorities remain supporting employees, proactive investigations, training and equipment, and public safety. Our nationally recognized school resource officer and COaST programs, plus jail education and reentry services, reflect my belief that prevention matters as much as enforcement.

What type of crime should be the sheriff office’s top target in the next few years? Please explain why. What steps will you take to address the priorities as you see them?

Drug trafficking, illegal firearms, and the exploitation of children and vulnerable people remain top priorities. These crimes devastate families and threaten public safety.

Since taking office in 2018, I’ve refocused our Special Investigations Group (SIG) on the criminal organizations behind drug, gun, and human trafficking, while strengthening our partnership with the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

From 2022-2025, SIG conducted 619 investigations, made 311 arrests, and seized more than 450 illegal firearms. In 2024-2025, SIG and federal partners seized over $31 million in illegal drugs. SIG earned Chicago HIDTA’s 2024 Initiative of the Year award.

Our Internet Crimes Against Children investigators made 13 arrests in 2025 and helped rescue at least five children from abuse and exploitation. In 2026, that work continues, including rescues from sexually abusive homes.

I’ll keep investing in trained investigators, technology, and law enforcement partnerships while supporting school safety, mental health services, and substance abuse prevention. We must pursue dangerous offenders, protect victims, and prevent future crime.

Describe your position on the allocation of resources in the sheriff'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?

I continually review staffing and spending to make every taxpayer dollar count, adjusting assignments as needs change. When I took office, eight labor agreements had expired; we settled them within two years and continue working on recruitment and retention.

We’ve expanded our K9 Unit, including jail K9s Brek and Max, who detect contraband and help keep staff and inmates safe. We’ve upgraded jail security and medical services while expanding GED, job training, and reentry programs, including Community Bridge.

In 2026, our jail earned its sixth consecutive American Correctional Association accreditation and a national Detention Facility Innovation Award. Our office secured an additional $700,000 MacArthur Foundation grant for mental health and criminal justice programs. Our shared technology serves over 40 public safety agencies. In 2025, Auxiliary Deputies volunteered 10,250 hours, saving an estimated $551,000.

Our jail opened in 1989. I’ll work with the County Board to evaluate a major rehabilitation or a new facility, weighing safety, staffing, rehabilitation, and long-term costs. I’ll keep pursuing grants and regional partnerships to control costs.

Name one concrete program you’ll create or personnel move you’ll make to improve efficiency in the office or make it more successful. Explain how it will be funded and how you will overcome any obstacles to initiating it.

I’m committed to expanding mental health support for our employees and their families. Public safety work is demanding, and the stress often follows people home. We must take care of those who spend their careers taking care of others.

In 2025, we provided sworn and correctional employees private, one-hour meetings with a clinical psychiatrist. Now we’re building on that investment with an ongoing wellness program for every Sheriff’s Office employee and their spouse or significant other.

A confidential app-based service would offer one-on-one coaching with professionals familiar with public safety, plus resources for stress, sleep, resilience and work-life balance. Private conversations would remain outside the chain of command. It would complement existing peer support and employee assistance programs.

We’ve received preliminary approval and expect to bring the proposal to the County Board within weeks. We’re identifying resources through the budget process, subject to final approval. Seeking help should be seen as a strength, not a weakness. Supporting our people can improve their wellbeing, our ability to retain employees, and the service we provide Lake County.