2 Joliet Cops Recommended For Firing Still On City Payroll

JOLIET, IL — Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner has not acted quickly to carry out the termination hearings for two police officers he recommended for removal months ago.

In December, veteran officer David Blackmore was notified he was being terminated. Five months later, Blackmore remains on the city of Joliet's payroll, collecting his regular paycheck every two weeks while staying at home.

In late February, Roechner informed Officer Bill Busse he was also being fired. As with Blackmore, Busse still collects his regular city paycheck, every two weeks from City Hall, while staying at home from the Joliet Police Station.

Joliet Patch's recent Freedom of Information Act request revealed Blackmore has been paid nearly $44,000 so far this year while his termination appeal remains on hold. Busse has been paid about $22,300 since Roechner announced he was being terminated three months ago, and his termination appeal remains pending.

Blackmore and Busse both appealed their firings to the city's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, but so far, the police administration has yet to present its evidence. The independent panel is appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. Its members will have to decide whether to uphold either firing as recommended by Joliet's police chief. If the commission disagrees with the firing, it has the power to reduce the discipline to a suspension, or theoretically, not impose any discipline at all.

In the meantime, the city is down two officers in its patrol division. The police department is authorized to have 272 officers, and Busse and Blackmore hold two of those positions.

During a rare interview with Joliet Patch's editor, Roechner said Tuesday that his administration has met with the city's legal department in hopes of carrying out the terminations for Busse and Blackmore.

He said that because the city's legal counsel had a conflict of interest, a decision was made to use an outside law firm to help the city prepare for the eventual evidence hearings in front of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners.

Shortly afterward, Roechner said, the new coronavirus health crisis hit, which impacted everyone's schedules and pushed the termination hearings back on the calendar.

"COVID, it messed up everything," Roechner said Tuesday afternoon.

Roechner told Patch he intends to move forward with the termination hearings for Busse and Blackmore sooner rather than later.

Roechner said his administration wants to reveal all of its evidence so everybody will see that both of his recommended firings were warranted and need to be carried out.

"We know we're solid on everything," Roechner said. "I look forward to bringing (the evidence) forward so everyone knows the truth on both cases."

During an interview Monday, Board of Fire and Police Commissioners Chairman Herb Lande told Patch that no evidence surrounding the recommended dismissals of Busse and Blackmore has been presented by Roechner's administration to his board so far this year.

Lande stressed that his board cannot expedite the termination appeals process.

"The board has not seen any of these things," Lande said. "The board is anxiously awaiting to see the evidence …. We're wondering the same thing — what's the holdup?"

In January, Patch obtained a memo from the police department's Internal Affairs unit regarding Blackmore's recommended job dismissal that stated in part: "There were discrepancies involving statements that you made on your on-duty injury report, information you provided on your Joliet Police Department Offense report, information you provided to your doctor, and the events that occurred on August 21, 2018."

Regarding Busse, on two separate occasions last year, once in May and again in December, Busse was arrested by the New Lenox Police Department on charges of domestic battery against his ex-wife.

During Tuesday's interview, Roechner acknowledged that until the terminations are upheld by the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, Busse and Blackmore will remain on the city's payroll and their positions in traffic patrol are not being used.

For the time being, Blackmore and Busse remain on the books as city employees who are on indefinite paid suspension. As of this week, no termination hearings have been scheduled by the police and fire commission.

In Busse's case, he had been away from regular patrol for about a year as the result of a hand injury. Both of his criminal cases remain at the pretrial stage at the Will County Courthouse. He is being represented by attorney Jeff Tomczak of The Tomczak Law Group.

As of this week, the Joliet Police Department had 264 active-duty sworn officers.

"We're down about eight right now," Roechner said, explaining that some vacancies were created by a few recent retirements.

Roechner said the residents of Joliet are not being shortchanged and that his administration is always making sure there are adequate staffing levels in the traffic patrol division.

"Our main focus is the citizens, and patrol is our bread and butter," Roechner said. The chief told Patch that he and his administration move assignments around when necessary to make sure the proper number of officers are on the patrol schedule.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Veteran Joliet Officer David Blackmore Faces Termination

Joliet Cop On Empire Gets Fired By Roechner

Let's Put Joe Clement's Suspension Into Perspective

30-Day Suspension For Detective David Jackson