Darien tables police plans
DARIEN — At least two village board members on Monday were ready to turn down Sheriff David Graves' proposal for county-managed patrols in the village.
Still, the board voted to meet with Graves in April before making a final decision.
At the board's request, Graves in February presented a plan to provide full-time patrol services in the village. The start-up cost for the program would be $496,820, Graves said.
In a presentation last week to the village police committee and Monday night to the full board, Darien officer Brian Mair said the sheriff's proposal is too expensive for the village and doesn't provide the services residents get from village officers.
"This department was established in 1951," Mair said. "Over the years, officers have gained trust with the village residents. It's taken time to build these relationships."
The village budgeted $477,000 in 2010 to pay for police services. That cost includes a part-time secretary, a chief, four full-time officers and seven part-time officers, Mair said.
Although the sheriff's proposal was more expensive than what the village budgeted, it didn't include such positions as crossing guards and the part-time secretary, he said.
Graves and Village Administrator Marc Dennison have said county coverage could save money in the long run because the county has greater buying power for things such as equipment and insurance.
Several Darien officers were at the meeting and spoke against the sheriff's proposal.
Officer Chuck Lankford has worked in the department for 18 years. He argued that if the village contracted with the sheriff's office for village coverage, it would lose ownership of equipment.
If the village later changed its mind, he added, it could be cost-prohibitive to start a department again from scratch
"He (Graves) could hike the price up in the future," Lankford said. "You're stuck. You have to pay it because you can't afford to redo the department."
The officers asked the board to follow the wishes of a 2009 referendum in which residents voted to keep village police services by village officers.
"We want your support," Mair said. "We want the board to support us. We want to look forward to the future."
The police committee on Wednesday unanimously voted to recommend the village keep its own police department.
Board President Evelyn Etten made that motion at Monday night's full board meeting and board member Debi Olmstead seconded it. The two are on the police committee.
The board decided to meet with Graves first to talk about details of the proposal. The meeting could take place in April depending on Graves' schedule.
Such a contract would be the first in Walworth County. Graves has told the Gazette that if other municipalities would be interested in learning about options for county police services, he would be willing to talk about it.
The board in December started talking about how to move forward with its police department because Police Chief Steve DeVoy will resign in May. DeVoy and the village were involved in a legal battle throughout 2009 after DeVoy was suspended with pay.
DeVoy and the village settled before a hearing. The village will pay DeVoy $30,000 plus paid leave for six months on top of the 11 months he was paid while suspended and $35,000 for accrued holiday, vacation and sick time.
McCue votes end in ties
Darien Village Board member Bob Wenzel said Monday that temporarily replacing board member Craig McCue could prevent future 3-3 tie votes.
Two votes on the issue then failed in ties.
McCue suffered a stroke in August and has not been at board meetings since. However, he has indicated he wants to continue serving on the board.
McCue was re-elected to a second term last April that ends in April 2011. Board member Debi Olmstead said Monday he is a popular board member who should not be replaced.
Board member Kurt Zipp and Wenzel argued a replacement only would be necessary until McCue felt he was ready to come back to work on the board.
Board President Evelyn Etten's motion to strike the item from the agenda failed on a tie as did Zipp's motion to replace McCue.
The board took no other action on the issue.
Mar 23, 2010 at 9:01 a.m.
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yah, & it's not real hard to figure out that the village of darien in one way or another paid for all those HUGE shiny campaign signs for danz. I'm not leaving cuz I was caught doing illegal things, I'm leaving to be closer to my family down south. Riiiiiiiiigggggghhhht.
Mar 23, 2010 at 7:25 a.m.
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Did someone call my name?
Mar 22, 2010 at 9:43 a.m.
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Sam_I_am, this is the mental capacity of these people. Gee, how long ago was the Chief DeVoy thing? The dirty and corrupt are getting closer and closer to being revealed for what they are and all they can do is point dirty fingers by making up childish screen names that takes the focus off of themselves. I wish I could find someone dumb enough to buy my house.
Mar 20, 2010 at 11:29 p.m.
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OMG lifeisawheel! I can't believe you found that code - HOW juvenile "Steve DeVoy is a rat"!
What is wrong with you sdviasarat? What a 4th grader you are!!
Gees, your village is in alot of trouble with idiots like this. Hope they're not in postion of authority...
Residents - WAKE UP!
Mar 20, 2010 at 1:23 a.m.
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sdvisarat: saddle up with DarienGal, you both have been lied to and followed along here just like they wanted everyone else to. Of course I can gather from your screen name, decoded as "steve devoy is a rat" that it would not matter what logic would fly your way that you will always be and devoted to the "dark side". This village is a sick, sick joke.
Mar 19, 2010 at 10:57 p.m.
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sdvisarat - WHAT? "Mr. Dennison couldn't speak to anyone about anything"?
He sure has spoken plenty to the press!
And it was part of his job description if he was a true Village Administrator.
Mar 19, 2010 at 6:08 p.m.
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oplease=debi o Why haven't you brought this evidence to the Walworth County Sheriff's Department or to another county? They were the ones who were conducting the investigation. Why did you wait so long to bring this up? It has been over a year. If it would exonerate someone, why not do it right away? I smell a red herring, or a rat.
Mar 19, 2010 at 5:54 p.m.
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Lifeisa(w)heel I hope you realize that Mr. Dennison couldn't speak to anyone about anything because all of this mess started on his first day of work and by the order by village attorney Hazelbaker. The attorney was intrviewed by the Delevan Emptyprize puppet Mike Hoey and stated that nobody could speak at all about the situation until the investigation had been concluded. So I guess you are bashing him for following the rules unlike other village employees.
Mar 19, 2010 at 3:55 p.m.
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Hey! Maybe they'll make Maltese the new village administrator - no wait - he's over qualified for that too I'm sure. That's too bad. How is that guy ever gonna get a job?!?
Mar 19, 2010 at 3:51 p.m.
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I see on the front page that the puppet Dennison is resigning. You will be missed. Maybe on your way out or after you leave you can tell everyone why you had it in for Chief DeVoy on your very first day on the job and NEVER talked to him to get his side of the story about anything. Hired by crooks and answered to and stood by with the crooks. Til' the end though is the question...
Mar 19, 2010 at 8:15 a.m.
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So when are we going to see this?
Mar 19, 2010 at 3:42 a.m.
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Yes, and video footage of an unnamed Sgt and an unnamed police secretary/court clerk going through his office when Chief DeVoy was out of the building.
Mar 18, 2010 at 6:14 p.m.
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I sat in on the meeting that the Sheriff presented at.. They said that as much as they would try to keep the Darien police officers in Darien, they could not stop someone with more seniority getting the patrols in Darien.. Union rules trump legislation...
Mar 18, 2010 at 1:35 p.m.
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You bet he is!! How dare he care about his job AND our community at the same time!! Shame on him!! Grow a brain and think what it is like for these guys to be stuck with an incompetent supervisor who only talks about supervising and a village board that can't/won't do anything about it in a county that is watching this circus show that could ruin their careers. (not aimed at you one943, just answering your question with obvious sarcasm)
Mar 18, 2010 at 12:11 p.m.
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So Brian Mair is a bad guy?
Mar 17, 2010 at 1:13 p.m.
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Misunderstood: Here's the link:
http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway...
Mar 17, 2010 at 12:50 p.m.
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M191A1, I was not aware of the law you mentioned. Please post the statue number so I can reference it.
Mar 17, 2010 at 12:02 p.m.
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State law requires that the Sheriff give preferential hiring treatment to the officers put out of work by contracting provided they meet the standards of the Sheriff's Dept. A win for the officers. Higher pay, vastly superior training and equipment, and better opportunities. Unless of course they don't meet the qualifications/requirements for the Sheriff's Dept. Methinks Mair and Lankford are more concerned about their jobs than the community.
Mar 17, 2010 at 7:46 a.m.
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We have heard for over a year that the cops are quitting the force & no one wants to work for the Darien P.D.
This story has them pretty much begging the board to keep the dept.
So which is it?
Mar 16, 2010 at 4:39 p.m.
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...and the band played on. Funny how nothing ever changes, it just keeps repeating, and repeating and repeating. It is no wonder this village is dying off.
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