Man Demands Hinsdale Police Reimburse For Damage

HINSDALE, IL – A man on Tuesday requested Hinsdale police reimburse for damage that he says detectives caused to a garage door on a rental house that he and his wife own.

At a Village Board meeting, Tom Kasperski said Hinsdale police had some business with the tenant and that resulted in their knocking down the garage door. His version of events conflicted with the police department's.

In mid-November, Kasperski said that he and his wife checked their rental house on Jefferson Avenue in Brookfield after the tenant moved out. They found the garage door knocked down, with neighbors telling them that Hinsdale police caused the damage.

He said he spoke with Hinsdale's deputy police chief.

"He was very nice. I really appreciated his help in listening to me," Kasperski said. "But he said he wouldn't help me as far as a reimbursement we were seeking."

By his account, Kasperski said the tenant gave the detectives access the first time around. But then 10 minutes later, they returned to ask to come in again, he said.

This time, the tenant wouldn't give the key, saying his children lost it, Kasperski said. The tenant further said the police could knock down the door if they wanted, Kasperski said.

"My position is that these are detectives. It doesn't take Columbo to figure out that (they're) dealing with tenants," Kasperski said. "Any detective would know that right off the bat that they're dealing with tenants, not property owners. So my position is that when they knocked down the door, did they think for one second, 'Hey, someone has to pay for this'?"

He said the police could have easily gotten his contact information through neighbors or the local water department. He said he and his wife would have been there in five minutes.

The door cost him $450, Kasperski said.

In response, Village President Tom Cauley asked Kasperski to provide the village with receipts.

"This is the first I'm hearing about it," Cauley said.

In an email to Patch on Wednesday, Police Chief Brian King said the Brookfield matter was related to a car burglary on the afternoon of Oct. 23 at Grant Square. A window was smashed while the owner was shopping at Kramer Foods, King said.

The victim, King said, was at a bank in another town before going to Kramer Foods. It appears the burglary suspects followed her to the grocery, the chief said.

A car connected to the crime was believed to be in a garage off an alley on Brookfield's Jefferson Avenue, he said.

Hinsdale police requested consent to enter the garage, but the tenant refused, King said.

When officers came by with a warrant to search the garage a couple of hours later, the tenant still refused, the chief said.

King said police entered by cutting a padlock and then forcing open a door.

Police then seized the car inside.

The investigation continues, King said.