$675,708 For 9 Police Retirement Buyouts So Far This Year

JOLIET, IL - Last week, Joliet Patch revealed that Tab Jensen, the city's recently retired deputy police chief of administration, received about $131,500 for cashing out his unused vacation, accrued sick days and several weeks of comp time that he had accumulated many years earlier when he made far less in salary. At least nine Joliet police officers have retired so far this year, as of early August. The grand total of their nine retirement severance payouts have cost the city $675,708, an average of about $75,080 per officer, a Joliet Patch Freedom of Information Act request to the city showed.

These retirement payouts are coming out at a time when city officials often complain at city council meetings about how the city is strapped for cash and that they need state of Illinois lawmakers to step it up and not further reduce their funding at the risk of negatively impacting city services, notably police and firefighter protection.

In many instances, the Joliet Police officers are being paid several extra thousand dollars for comp time that they had squirreled away many years earlier when their salaries were considerably less. That was the case with Jensen, who was promoted in 2014 to a deputy chief position. In that role, Jensen was ineligible for overtime pay and he was not eligible to accumulate more comp time, but he saw a significant pay hike.

However, the city's fringe benefits policies allow Jensen and others to keep their comp time banks on the books even if they are promoted to top-level managerial staff. As a result, when Jensen retired after less than four years as a deputy chief, the city listed Jensen as having 439.20 hours — 11 work weeks — of comp time.

In turn, the city paid Jensen out for his comp time at his current hourly salary, as deputy chief of administration, $76.63 per hour, rather than the rate of pay Jensen was making when he was amassing his comp time banks.

The two highest severance payouts so far this year at the Joliet Police Department, and throughout the city, were Jensen and Brian Dupuis, who retired in January from his post as deputy chief of technical services. At the time Dupuis left, the city had four deputy chiefs in addition to a chief.

In wake of both departures of Jensen and Dupuis, the city has chosen not to fill either position. If Joliet does not replace them on a permanent basis, the city would be saving at least $315,000 annually in salary alone. Jensen and Dupuis both made between $155,000 and $160,000 in total annual compensation at the Joliet Police Department. Their pay included a $3,080 annual longevity bonus, a payment that is given out to many public sector employees as a way to reward them for staying on the job another year.

Here's a rundown of the nine Joliet Police Department retirements so far this year and how much money each officer made for cashing out his or her unused vacation, sick banks and nest eggs for comp time.

TOMAS PONCE, investigations
Retired March 2018

Unused Vacation: 570 hours, $29,319
Unused Sick Leave Payout: $13,476
Comp Time Bank: 88 hours, $4,560,

Total Severance Payout: $47,355
Wages for pension calculation: $109,173

DWAYNE WEIS, investigations
Retired July 2018
Unused Sick Leave Payout: $16,850
Unused Vacation: 306 hours, $15,572
Comp Time Bank: 301 hours, $15,505
Total Severance Payout: $48,107
Wages for pension calculation: $109,173

LINDA ODOM, patrol sergeant
Retired June 2018
Comp Time Bank: 493 hours, $29,038
Unused Sick Payout: $21,778
Unused Vacation: 90 hours, $5,320
Total Severance Payout: $56,136
Wages for pension calculation: $124,528

PATRICK BLATTI, neighborhood policing officer
Retired February 2018

Unused Vacation: 545 hours, $28,056
Unused Sick Payout: $20,838
Comp Time Bank: 174 hours, $8,968
Severance Payout: $57,862
Wages for pension calculation: $109,173

FRANCIS FERRO, patrol officer
Retired July 2018
Comp Time Bank: 520 hours, $26,781
Unused Sick Payout: $20,838
Unused Vacation: 342 hours, $17,615
Severance Payout: $65,233
Wages for pension calculation: $109,173

SCOTT CAMMACK, patrol sergeant
Retired June 2018

Comp Time Bank: 481 hours, $28,339,
Unused Vacation: 278 hours, $16,386
Unused Sick Payout: $22,225
Severance Payout: $66,950
Wages for pension calculation: $124,528

JAMES ALLISON, investigations
Retired February 2018

Unused Vacation: 678 hours, $34,917
Comp Time Bank: 591 hours, $30,448
Unused Sick Payout: $20,838
Severance Payout: $86,203
Wages for pension calculation: $109,173

BRIAN DUPUIS, deputy chief of technical services
Retired in January 2018

Unused Vacation: 766 hours, $57,581
Unused Sick Payout: $33,596
Comp Time Bank: 335 hours, $25,188
Severance Buyout: $116,364
Wages for pension calculation: $158,430

TAB JENSEN, deputy chief of administration
retired in July 2018

Unused Vacation: 821 hours, $62,943
Sick Leave Payout: $34,898
Comp Time Bank: 439 hours, $33,657
Severance Payout: $131,498
Wages for Pension Calculation: $161,498

Main image of Tab Jensen via city of Joliet Police Department