Fired Elgin officer must be reinstated

An Elgin police officer who was fired last year must be reinstated, an arbitrator has ordered.

Jesus "Jesse" Padron was dismissed in October for undisclosed reasons. A former detective and one-time officer of the year, Padron said he believes he was fired because of false allegations that he was trying to steal items from a Schaumburg in summer 2006. No charges were ever filed.

Padron said he's happy to have his job back.

"I just want to go back to work and finish my career," the 45-year-old Padron said.

When that will happen, however, wasn't immediately clear.

Elgin's corporation counsel, William A. Cogley, said the city received arbitrator Jack Cerone's order Friday. A starting date has not been set, he said.

Cerone's decision indicated Padron is to be reinstated without back pay, Cogley said. That turns his dismissal into a one-year suspension, Cogley said.

"We don't think he should be reinstated," Cogley said. "We are reviewing our options regarding what we will do next."

It's not the first time the 19-year police veteran has had trouble with the Elgin department.

In the 1990s, as a detective, he was suspended for 30 days after he admitted lying in court to protect an informant.

He also served a pair of three-day suspensions for failing to show up as a witness in a drug case and for fixing a traffic ticket for another informant.

He was demoted in 2000.

After being fired last year, Padron was evicted from the city-owned house he'd lived in for a year as part of the resident officer program.

Padron said he lived with friends after being evicted.