Cop Training Group Ignores Burr Ridge Official's Messages

BURR RIDGE, IL – In December, Burr Ridge police officials learned of a critical government report about a police training company shortly after it was issued.

The police department brought the group to the area last August for training and scheduled its return for November.

Emails show that a Burr Ridge officer alerted the department's two deputy chiefs about the report in December. Then Deputy Chief Marc Loftus sent it to Chief John Madden.

The report about Street Cop Training came from the New Jersey comptroller's office, which said the company advocated discriminatory practices and potentially unconstitutional tactics.

The department's emails showed Loftus trying last month to contact Street Cop, to no avail.

On March 18, he directed a message to the main email address for Street Cop, saying he had questions about the New Jersey report.

"Please call me at your earliest convenience so that we can decide on whether to proceed with this training or not," Loftus said.

On March 26, Madden emailed the Village Board that the department had canceled the training. This was a day after Patch's story about the training appeared, and the same day the Chicago Tribune wrote about it.

In the email to the board, Madden said Loftus had tried since December to contact a representative of New Jersey-based Street Cop to discuss the department's concerns about the comptroller's report. Loftus also planned to tell the group that the police department would not co-sponsor the training or send Burr Ridge officers, Madden said.

"Deputy Chief Loftus was unable to speak to a representative after numerous attempts," the chief said.

Madden also said the department notified the North American Spine Society in Burr Ridge, where the training would have been held. The department asked the society to refuse to hold the training, he said.

In an interview Thursday, Eric Muehlbauer, the society's CEO, said the police department canceled its reservation for the auditorium for the Street Cop event March 26.

In his email to the board, Madden said the New Jersey investigation was related to a 2021 conference. He emphasized that no Burr Ridge officers attended.

Madden said two Burr Ridge officers attended two trainings held by Street Cop – once in 2022 and another time in 2023.

"We interviewed both officers and both stated that the classes they attended were professional and they did not experience any of the unacceptable conduct or topics as outlined in the New Jersey Comptroller's report," Madden said.

A Burr Ridge officer helped Street Cop find a venue in town for November — the auditorium at the society — at no cost to the company or the department.

By assisting, Burr Ridge was allowed to have up to 10 officers attend the training free of charge, the chief said.

This is a common practice, he said. For instance, the department hosted a Northwestern University staff and command 10-week leadership training in the police station training room and earned one free spot — a $4,000 savings, he said.

Last August's training was called "Deceptive Behaviors & Hidden Compartments" and the next one was labeled "Interdiction Mastermind."