Potential recruits looking to be a part of Elgin police change

Yosi Mendoza and Annie Rohrdantz arrived at the Elgin Police Department open house Saturday morning looking for something more than a job.

At a time when public protests have loudly called for change in the way the police work, the two friends from Carpentersville went looking for a way to make a difference and help effect that change.

"The department is very invested in the people and the people they are going to recruit to make a change and to be part of something positive," said Mendoza, a Harper College student, after the two-hour open house for potential recruits. "And that's what's most motivating, I think, because it can be discouraging for people in this time and it can be difficult in how the public views everything.

"But I think what's more important is if this is the calling, for you to take it and to pursue it regardless of the circumstances. Because it may be difficult, but it's an opportunity for so many people who really want to be in this field."

Those present heard several Elgin officers, including Chief Ana Lalley, talk about how they are working to do things differently after the 2018 officer-involved shooting of Decynthia Clements.

"I'm all for police reform," said Rohrdantz, an Elgin Community College student. "I think in a lot of places changes need to happen."

Rohrdantz and Mendoza are looking for jobs at the right time. Elgin is expecting a number of retirements and is hiring.

"A lot of people are leaving policing," Lalley said, adding her department is not afraid of change or criticism.

The open house attracted eight men and four women interested in jobs with a starting annual salary of about $71,000. There are 184 officers in Elgin's police department.

Sean, an Elgin resident who didn't want his last name used because he didn't want his current employer to know he's considering a new career, said he served 11 years in the Marine Corps.

"Now I'm back here with my family and I want to continue serving," he said.

Sean said he is looking for a challenge and also likes the camaraderie of serving in a team atmosphere.

"That's why I joined the Marine Corps, to try to be on the front lines. I always wanted to do something good," he said.