Homer Glen Seeks Proposals For Cost Analysis Of Police Services

HOMER GLEN, IL — At its Wednesday meeting, the Homer Glen Village Board approved preparing a request for proposal for an independent analysis of police services and a feasibility study for the establishment of a municipal police department.

Trustee Robert Schaller said he brought up this matter, and thanked staff for working on the request.

Trustee Rose Reynders said she thought this was a "waste of time and money."

"We've done this so many times in the past, and we've come up, and we know it is going to cost us $20 to $25 million dollars," she said.

Homer Glen currently has an agreement with the Will County Sheriff's Office for police services, and has had enforcement services from the agency since 2001.

"I believe that the Will County sheriff does a great job. I don't think that there's a need for this," Reynders said.

Trustee Nick Muller also said he believes the sheriff's office does an "exceptional job."

"The exorbitant amount of money it would cost to establish our own police department is concerning to me," he said.

Trustee Curtis Mason said he agreed with Schaller's request, and that the request wasn't so much about replacing the Will County Sheriff, but about finding out "our costing and where we're at."

"I want to make sure as things increase...do we need more service? Do we need more coverage? Are we paying the proper amount? Are we not? Are we overpaying? I'd like to know all those things as well, and I think that's the goal," Mason said.

"Inquiring minds do want to know the answers to these questions," Trustee Mike Lepore said.

Trustee Bart Holzhauser said he doesn't mind analyzing the police services, but doesn't agree with the feasibility study.

Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said the county's finance committee had approached the Village about the contract with the Sheriff's Office and the cost of services.

Schaller clarified later in the meeting that the feasibility study was about getting an "up-to-date dollar figure about what it's going to cost."

"I think it's important for the Village residents to understand what services we're getting through the Will County Sheriff compared to what it would cost us if we had our own police department," Schaller said. "Not to throw shade on the Will County Sheriff's Department. That is not the goal here at all."

"This is just a request for proposal," Holzhauser said.

"I don't think it hurts to ask for the proposal," he added.

Village Attorney Mike Pasquinelli said this request is not adopting and establishing a police department, nor is it spending any money on a consultant to assess what it would cost.

"The vote today...doesn't spend money at all. It's simply a request for a proposal to go out, to have consultants give the Board some numbers for the public to see if it's feasible, to see if it's something that the Board wants to consider in the future," he said.