Burr Ridge Wants More Cops, Requiring Budget Hike

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge police are seeking two more officer positions, bringing the total to 30.

The police chief told village trustees Monday that his long-term goal is 35 officers. That prompted one trustee to express concern over possible tax hikes.

The village has long had 28 authorized officer positions.

With the proposed increase, Burr Ridge would have 2.7 officers for every 1,000 people, compared with 1.5 officers per 1,000 residents in Elmhurst.

At a Village Board meeting, Police Chief Marc Loftus said the additional officers would let the village form a community-oriented response and enforcement unit.

The police department has resorted to overtime to assign enough officers to the street, he said.

"We're stretching," the chief said. "We're always behind the eight ball."

With more officers, the department can address speeding on 83rd Street and cut-through traffic in the Chasemoor subdivision, among other things, Loftus said.

Trustee Russell Smith said the police department's proposed budget for wages is increasing by 26 percent year over year. He also noted that the police are getting an electric car.

"Eventually, the village is not going to be able to afford these wish lists," he said. "And if the goal is 35 sworn officers or above, what are you going to give back?"

At some point, Smith warned, the board would have to raise taxes.

"This money doesn't just automatically reappear every year," he said.

Other trustees praised Loftus' proposal.

"If he says he needs two more officers to help maintain the level of service that our residents have come to expect, I have to trust his expertise and judgment," Trustee Guy Franzese said. "I can't sit here and micromanage his force. That's not my role as trustee."

Mayor Gary Grasso said the police department has been authorized at 27 or 28 positions since at least 2009. Over the years, police chiefs have sought more officers, he said.

"We've got to watch the finances," the mayor told the chief. "Your job is to ask. Our job is to consider."

The board is expected to vote on the annual budget, which includes the extra officer positions, at a later meeting.

Over the last five years, the village's cash on hand has gone up by about $12 million. Burr Ridge is one of the few debt-free suburbs.