Hoffman Estates plans police department advisory committee

Hoffman Estates officials plan to create a public safety advisory committee next week with seven appointees who would serve as liaisons between the village's police department and the community.

Village Manager Eric Palm and Police Chief Kasia Cawley stressed a desire for mutual understanding, even of police-related concerns that aren't necessarily issues in Hoffman Estates.

"This provides a forum and an opportunity to engage in those types of discussions," Palm said. "We want these residents to go back and then share this information with the rest of the community. It doesn't just stay in that room."

Although participation in the department's 12-session Citizens Police Academy would be encouraged, village board members decided that they don't want the panel to consist only of people who already view law enforcement issues from a police perspective.

That decision was supported by Cawley.

"It's great to go through the class, but I envision some of this will be speaking about why we do the things we do, or how we do the things we do, so I think a lot of that will be brought to the (committee) meetings as well," she said. "We're always looking to be as transparent as we can with the public, and to continue to build that trust with the public and find out not only what we're doing good but maybe what we can do better."

Trustee Karen Mills concurred the committee shouldn't be made up entirely of people who have attended the academy.

"I think you're looking more for people that might be on the fence or have had bad experiences so you want to get them in to find out what the problem is and work with the police to get a better understanding," she said.

Mayor Bill McLeod agreed.

"I think Trustee Mills really nailed it," he said. "We need to reach out to folks and they can tell us about their experiences and talk to the police about it."

Trustee Gary Pilafas also suggested bringing in student representatives from both Conant and Hoffman Estates high schools, where police officers are stationed, to provide a different generation's perspective on that practice.

The village board will vote on creation of the committee Monday, Feb. 7, with appointment decisions to follow.

To be considered, Hoffman Estates residents or business owners should contact Jennifer Djordjevic, director of operations and outreach in the mayor's office, at (847) 781-2610 or jennifer.djordjevic@hoffmanestates.org.

Though there are no specific criteria to meet, the village will be seeking candidates who know how they would communicate with the community they're representing, Palm said.

"We just want people to be engaged in their neighborhoods," he added. "I'm excited about it. I think it'll be good for the community and good for the department."