ISLAND LAKE — The police chief in Island Lake is on paid administrative leave.
Chief Anthony Sciarrone had been leading the 14-officer department for almost a year.
Mayor Debbie Herrmann notified village board members in an e-mail Monday morning that she put Sciarrone on leave Friday, but did not indicate why.
“The board was not aware until this morning,” Island Lake board member Connie Mascillino said.
Mascillino said the situation was unusual and said she hopes the entire board will have a chance to address the matter.
“We’ve never had any thing like this happen before,” she said.
As mayor, Herrmann has the authority to remove the chief from duty, said village attorney Scott Puma. He declined to comment on the reasons for Sciarrone’s leave because it was a personnel matter.
Board member Don Verciglio said he also was unaware of the reasons for Sciarrone’s leave. He said the village mayor appoints the police chief.
Sciarrone, who is paid $85,738 a year plus benefits, remains on the payroll, said Finance Director John Little.
Detective Matt du Chemin has been put in charge of the day-to-day operations of the department, Little said. Du Chemin could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
This is not the first time Herrmann has wielded her authority over the department.
On Jan. 1, she placed a part-time police officer on administrative leave. That officer has not been paid or returned to work, Little said.
The Island Lake police department has not been insulated from the village board’s political machinations in the past, either.
Former Police Chief John Fellmann, a 31-year veteran of the Arlington Heights Police Department who wanted to finish out his career in Island Lake, resigned after disagreements with the board.
Earlier this year, a stalemate on the board nearly led to the village not being able to pay its monthly bills. However, that situation has since been resolved and the bills paid, Little said.
By Brett Rowland
Read the original article from the Northwest Herald.
Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services