Officers unite to help laid off Hoffman Estates cops

It's been four months since Hoffman Estates laid off four police officers.

At the time, Keith Baker, 27, and his wife were interested in planning for the Bartlett couple's first child. But since the village and police union could not agree on department budgetary cuts and the four were laid off, the Bakers are postponing adding to their family.

Baker was the only one of the four officers who didn't have children.

Baker's wife is also waiting for news on her job. She's a teacher at Community Unit District 300 in the Carpentersville area, which is laying off 153 teachers and considering laying off another 149. The Bakers are nervous about her job.

"It's been tough, but we've been making our bills - barely," Baker said.

Help could be on its way, thanks to Baker's brethren. Hoffman Estates police officer Joe Kruschel leads the Lost Saints Motorcycle Club, a group of bike-loving police officers from neighboring police departments.

Lost Saints will hold a fundraiser for Baker and Dan Falkenberg on April 11 at Diamond Jim's Bar and Grill in East Dundee. They're splitting money from the event down the middle between the two families.

Falkenberg, 37, lives in Wheaton with his wife, 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. His wife works part time. The stability of police work drew Falkenberg to the profession and he never thought he would lose his job. He's already started to borrow money. But the financial problems just paint part of the picture.

"My 4-year-old, she asks me, 'Daddy, why aren't you wearing your police uniform anymore?'" Falkenberg said. "It breaks my heart to tell her that I'm not a police officer anymore."

Falkenberg now answers phones in a civilian job at the Hoffman Estates police station. The job pays about one-third of what he earned as an officer.

The two remaining officers laid off in December in Hoffman Estates have found jobs. One works for the Barrington Hills Police Department. Hoffman Estates rehired the other after a senior officer retired.

Both officers know they're not the only ones hurting financially, but police jobs are particularly scarce due to municipal hiring freezes and stiff competition. While many departments will test to update their officer candidates' lists, few are making hires.

Baker and Falkenberg are aware of Schaumburg Police Department's new hiring policy of giving preference to laid-off police offers.

Schaumburg police requires prospective officers to have a bachelor's degree. That's good for Baker, but bad for Falkenberg who doesn't have a bachelor's.

The Lost Saints' aim is to support police officers, whether they're injured while working or as in this case, in need of money. Lost Saints members rode their bikes last year to Washington, D.C., to raise money for the families of officers who've been killed on duty.

Baker was with Hoffman Estates for four years and Falkenberg for 14 months. Both said they appreciate the support from other officers and touted the brotherhood that exists among police.

"We decided as a club that this is what we do," Kruschel said. "When officers need help, we are there; we do everything we can to help them regardless."

If you goWhat: Fundraiser for laid off Hoffman Estates police officersWhen: 3 p.m., Sunday, April 11Where: Diamond Jim's Bar and Grill, 325 Meier Ave., East DundeePrice: $30 includes 2-hour open bar and appetizersWeb site: lostsaintsmc.com