Prospect Hts. votes to hire part-time police

Prospect Heights gave preliminary approval to hiring up to six part-time police officers Monday night, with officials saying it will allow for scheduling people when needed. The union representing six officers who were laid off in November calls it illegal union busting.

The vote was 3-2 in favor of the proposal from Jamie Dunne, who has been chief of police since the middle of February. He said recalling one full-time officer with benefits would cost $120,000 to $140,000. By taking that much from the overtime the city is paying, he could strategically deploy five part-time officers, he said.

Jerry Marzullo, attorney for the Metropolitan Alliance of Police unions representing Prospect Heights officers, said hiring part-time officers to replace full-time ones is prohibited by state law. He promised the union would file either an unfair labor practices grievance or a suit in Cook County Circuit Court.

Jeff Stein, filling in for the vacationing city attorney Mike Zimmermann, said the ordinance allowing part-time officers “Follows the state statute to the letter.”

Mayor Dolly Vole said the part-time officers would not replace those who were laid off because “like the chief said, you can’t take one officer and have him work three hours in the morning, two in the afternoon and some at night.”

Voting against the ordinance were John Styler of Ward 2, and Scott Williamson, recently appointed to represent Ward 3 because he is unopposed for that seat on the April 5 ballot. Their opposition was enough to keep the ordinance from passing on the first reading. It will come up for a final vote on April 11, said Vole.

No one spoke at the city council meeting against the ordinance.

Williamson said he thinks hiring part-time officers is a good idea, but time should be allowed for public input.

After the meeting, Styler said he does not believe that recalling one officer would cost $120,000 to $140,000 in salary and benefits.

Officers hired as part-timers would be required to have five years’ experience and could work full-time at other departments or be recently retired, said Dunne.

The part-timers would be paid just over $29 an hour, according to a report Dunne gave the council. At first just four officers would be hired, working 16 to 20 hours each a week. Three would patrol during busy times. The fourth would be an investigator who could be assigned to a regional task force when a major crime in the area requires the city to do that, he said.

Overnight shifts would still need to be covered by officers working overtime when any other officer is sick or on vacation, said Dunne. The amount of overtime that officers are working now is not sustainable over the long run, he said.

“I would love to have the six laid-off officers back,” he said, “but the money isn’t there.”