Grant to help with legal costs in Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills police department merger

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Updated: February 20, 2012 9:12AM

The process that village officials in Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills hope will lead to merging police departments of the two municipalities is continuing, as those involved face a variety of internal and legal issues.

And a $70,000 grant from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, which has received preliminary approval, would provide the funds to aid in legal costs of the merger process.

“We’re waiting to get final approval on the grant, which basically means we have to finish the paperwork involved,” said Randy Recklaus, the Clarendon Hills village manager. “We can’t have the legal team start working until we have the final grant approval, which should come in the next couple of weeks.”

Phase I of the merger process includes study and discussion of the governance, finances and legalities involved in combining two police departments into one, said Recklaus, who added that process should take place over the next 3-4 months.

“We’re trying to move this along as quickly as possible because we’re running so short (on staff),” Recklaus said. “We’ll probably have to introduce state legislation to make this happen, and that would have to be done in the spring. We have talked with local legislators, and I don’t think that would be a problem, but it’s still a process that takes time.”

A number of legal questions already have come up during discussions about a possible merger of departments.

“There would have to be a board of police and fire commissioners who determine hiring and firings, and there would have to be an intergovernmental agreement between the two communities, which has some questions because Hinsdale is in two counties,” Recklaus said.

“Along with the legal issues, there are labor questions involved, such as who is the employer, and where do they get their pension from? These are just questions that have come up during preliminary discussions; once the attorneys get this, I’m sure they will find a lot more.”

Clarendon Hills Police Chief Ted Jenkins said from a personnel standpoint this is the right time to be looking into a merger.

“We are both cut to the minimum, and we have openings we haven’t filled,” he said. “This definitely could be a time where if there were to be a merger, nobody would lose their job; we just might not fill openings we have.”

Hinsdale Village President Tom Cauley said he is committed to the merger taking place.

“We believe the consolidation of the Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills police departments will result in significant cost savings to both communities and will provide greater job security to police department employees without in any way compromising the first-rate police services that Hinsdale now enjoys,” he said.