Mount Prospect Police Chief Tim Janowick was placed on administrative leave Friday July 28, 2017, but Village President Arlene Juracek is not commenting. There is no reason to believe any scandal is involved, but village officials are not commenting, and Village President Arlene Juracek is hinting that health matters are involved.
“I’m not at liberty to say.” There are certain HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and privacy rules that come into play.”
— Village President Arlene Juracek
Juracek also stated the HIPAA rules prevent her from revealing whether the situation is expected to be prolonged, permanent, temporary or brief.
Police Chief Janowick is a 23-year veteran of the Mount Prospect Police Department. He was promoted to Sergeant in February 2003, Commander in May 2007, and Deputy Chief in September 2010. Janowick graduated from Northwestern University’s Center of Public Safety, Executive Management Program in August 2012. Janowick was promoted to Mount Prospect Police Chief in June 2014.
In 2015, Janowick was embroiled in a controversial proposal to include permanent resident (noncitizens) in the Mount Prospect police hiring process. Although approved in some other northwest suburbs, the proposal was withdrawn in Mount Prospect in July 2015.
Deputy Chief of Field Operations Mike Eterno had been appointed interim police chief during Janowick’s absence beginning July 28, 2017.
Mount Prospect has had a rough time period recently in the human resources department, and recent scandals in involving top village management have been met with a hush from Mount Prospect village leaders.
Village Manager Janonis
In December 2014, Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Janonis, who served as Mount Prospect’s Village Manager since July 1992, began a leave of absence with no explanation from Village President Arlene Juracek.
Regarding the leave of absence of Michael Janonis, Village President Arlene Juracek said she could not comment further because she is prohibited by the Family and Medical Leave Act.
“Village Manager Mike Janonis is taking an eligible leave of absence in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. The duration of this leave is currently unspecified.
In the interim, the village board is voting tonight to designate Assistant Village Manager David Strahl to assume the duties and responsibilities of the village manager in Mr. Janonis’ absence.”
— Village President Arlene Juracek
Janonis had previously been convicted on June 21, 2010 of DUI following a traffic stop (for speeding), observations of slurred speech, a positive field sobriety test, and arrest by McHenry police on June 5, 2010. After the traffic stop, Janonis had a blood-alcohol measurement of .218 – almost three times the legal threshold (0.08) for DUI. In an interview with the Daily Herald, Janonis denied having a drinking problem.
On May 19, 2017, former Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Janonis pleaded guilty to DUI and leaving the scene of a crash without giving aid, during a court hearing in Rolling Meadows Cook County Circuit Court. Janonis did not face jail time, but was ordered to provide 240 hours community service and attend Alcoholics Anonymous three days per week. On August 10, 2016, Prospect Heights police had found the former Mount Prospect village manager in his vehicle with an open bottle of vodka, a few blocks away from the 7-Eleven at Wolf Road and Camp McDonald Road, where he had allegedly struck a parked car and left the scene.
Mount Prospect and Janonis had separated ways in April 2015, when he received a severance package of over $200,000 from the Village of Mount Prospect.
Janonis reached a base salary of about $184,000 after a raise from $175,000 in 2014 — his second raise in Mount Prospect after the 2010 McHenry DUI conviction.
Assistant Village Manager Strahl
In April 2016, Mount Prospect Assistant Village Manager David Strahl was abruptly separated from his 22-year career with the Village of Mount Prospect. No specific reason was given by Mount Prospect officials for an expected “amicable separation agreement” at Strahl’s last day as Mount Prospect Assistant Village Manager was April 8, 2016. Strahl had served as Acting Village Manager until current Village Manager Michael Cassidy took over as Village Manager in October 2015. Strahl was earning an annual base salary of $150,000.
In less than two years, Mount Prospect taxpayers paid over $300,000 for severance agreements to break ties with Janonis and Strahl.
Firefighter Miller
On May 24, 2017, the five-member Mount Prospect Board of Fire and Police Commission (BOFPC) unanimously agreed to terminate 12-year firefighter/paramedic Lloyd Miller from his position as firefighter/paramedic for Mount Prospect. He allegedly made threats about co-workers, saying January 13, 2017 that he was upset about the department’s lieutenant testing process. Miller had allegedly told a firefighter that if he did not make the next lieutenant’s list, he would “kill some people,” “literally kill,” and would “line them up.”
Additional Leaves & Losses
In March 2017 a Mount Prospect police officer died suddenly from an unexpected medical event.
In December 2016 a Mount Prospect police sergeant was acquitted of a July 2015 aggravated battery and resisting arrest charge. Following unpaid leave, the Mount Prospect police sergeant returned to the force demoted as a patrol officer in recognition that the incident brought negative attention to the Mount Prospect community, police department and himself.
In July 2015, a Mount Prospect police commander was placed on paid administrative leave during in internal investigation after he was allegedly involved in a scuffle with United Center security at a U2 concert he was attending with his son. The police commander allegedly became intoxicated and was approaching his car when confronted by security. Chicago police responded to a call for assistance and took the Mount Prospect police commander into custody, but he was later released and not formally charged.
SOURCE:
Daily Herald Mount Prospect village manager pleads guilty to DUI
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