LINEBACKER PROGRAM

By ARTHUR K. SCHMIDT, Chief of Police, Streamwood, Illinois
IACP Linebacker Committee Chairman

An Untapped Resource

Chiefs of Police serve at the discretion of elected officials, Village Managers and City Administrators. Occasionally, Chiefs of Police face an unscheduled termination of employment. This vacancy creates uncertainty within the department and with village/city officials and local residents. Most often, a temporary appointment is made from within the ranks because other professional resources are unknown or unidentified. Frequently, the temporary in-house appointee is without management training and experience. Occasionally, a community may have more than one qualified replacement, but does not want to give preferential recognition prior to the formal selection process. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has a pool of qualified, professionally trained law enforcement managers who have either retired or are between employment positions.

To maintain continual professional law enforcement leadership throughout the State of Illinois, the Board of Officers in their October 9, 1992, meeting approved the development of an interim Chief of Police service that would be identified as the IACP Linebacker Program. The objective of the program would be to provide short term counsel, experience and support to manage a municipal police department until a permanent replacement could be found, the Linebacker would work to maintain policy established by elected officials, promote the goals of the department, and respond to community service needs.

Members of the Association interested in registering as a candidate for the Linebacker program would complete an application that would be used to establish a data base. An elected official or City Manager in need of an Interim Chief of Police would contact the Association Executive Director for names of IACP Linebacker candidates. The city official would be provided a portfolio of candidates interested in a selected geographic location. The Association would charge a nominal fee to the interested community. The City Manager would have the responsibility of interviewing, selecting and negotiating a short-term labor agreement with the candidate. Local government would then have an experienced resource that may be used to provide counsel in the new Chief's selection process.

To be an IACP Linebacker applicant, one must have served as a Chief of Police or Public Safety Director in the State of Illinois and been an active member of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. Applicants meeting these two basic requirements are encouraged to complete and file an IACP Linebacker Program application. This is a new service provided by the Association and a great opportunity for city managers to use law enforcement executives who have demonstrated professional management experience.

Elected officials and city managers/administrators interested in this new and exciting program should contact the IACP Executive Director, George E. Koertge, in Springfield at (217) 523-3765. •

May 1993 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 25