Burr Ridge Skeptic Persuaded On Deputy Police Chief

BURR RIDGE, IL – The Burr Ridge Village Board last week voted for an ordinance allowing a second deputy chief's position at the police department.

The supporters included Russell Smith, who is skeptical of paying for the position.

"I was clearly an outlier during the budget meeting about the need for two deputy chiefs in the village," Smith said at last week's board meeting.

With his yes vote, Smith said he was not endorsing a second deputy chief because of administrative work. Rather, he said he backed the ordinance allowing the position.

He said such a position may be needed in the event of a disability or health issue involving the police chief or the other deputy chief. The current ordinance only allows for one deputy chief.

"I wouldn't want the village stranded because we didn't have an ordinance to meet those needs," Smith told Patch in an interview.

At the same time, he said he would vote against approving money for a second deputy chief if the position was designed to handle administrative duties.

At a meeting last month, Police Chief John Madden said the village needed a second deputy chief to take care of administrative work.

The village last employed a second deputy chief before the 2008 recession. Since the recession, the village has been down two sworn officers, for a total of 27.

Last summer, the village's civilian records supervisor retired.

The village, Madden said, then developed a new civilian position of police administrative manager. It found four good candidates, he said. Three of them worked for other agencies, which countered with better offers. The fourth withdrew for personal reasons.

As a result, Madden concluded the village needed a second deputy chief position. As it is, only Madden and the lone deputy chief handle administrative functions.

In response, Smith said he opposed the addition of a $131,000 salary, plus another squad car and pension costs.

"That doesn't work for me, and I don't think that works for our residents," Smith said. "There's got to be other solutions that can be provided to this board besides another pension administrative person."

At last week's meeting, though, Mayor Gary Grasso said he backed hiring a second deputy chief.

"I looked the chief in the eye and asked, 'Is this going to make us a better police department?' and he assured me it would," the mayor said. "He is a man who I have respected for many years. He has made this one of the top-notch police departments around. When my chief says that this is going to make us a better department and it's within budget constraints, I support it."

The vote was unanimous.