By Lauren Zumbach and Dan Hinkel
Chicago Tribune
FOX LAKE, Ill. — As the investigation into the death of Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz continues, village officials are weighing the future of a program the officer led that gave young adults aspiring to careers in law enforcement an up-close look at the profession, a village spokesman said.
Gliniewicz, 52, fatally shot while on patrol on the morning of Sept. 1, was well-known in the community for his dedication to the local police Explorers program. After his death, Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit said Gliniewicz had talked about retiring but wanted to make sure he could continue to mentor kids through the program.
Mike Hale, scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America’s Northeast Illinois Council, said he’d heard from local staff that members of the Fox Lake Law Enforcement Explorers Post 300 had been having trouble getting access to their post and equipment since Gliniewicz’s death.
Fox Lake village spokesman Dave Bayless said the post remains active but has been secured as part of the village’s ongoing review of police assets, equipment and vehicles.
In September, village officials released a statement saying that at the time of Gliniewicz’s death, Fox Lake had been in the process of conducting an “inventory review” of police department procedures and equipment following former Chief Michael Behan’s retirement Aug. 28.
Behan had announced his retirement shortly after he was placed on paid leave as part of an internal investigation into how police handled a December 2014 arrest. The review was “standard and considered a best practice” as part of a change in leadership, village officials said in the statement.
Although the Explorer program is currently still running, the village is reassessing it, Bayless said.
“The entire program is being looked at in terms of its structure, its mission goals and how the program can serve as a valuable asset for youth going forward,” Bayless said.
The police department audit is ongoing and is taking longer than village officials had expected, Bayless said.
The village was in contact with the Boy Scouts of America leadership late last week regarding the program’s future and its leadership going forward, Bayles said.
Hale said Boy Scouts officials spoke briefly with Fox Lake police last Thursday and were asked what the program needed in order to carry on. Hale said the post doesn’t have enough leaders under Boy Scouts requirements to continue without Gliniewicz.
“Right now, we’re on hold until the police department says, ‘We’re a go, and here’s our new leader,’” Hale said.
Members of Fox Lake’s Explorers program could not immediately be reached, and one of the advisers listed on the organization’s website said they were not authorized to comment.
Although the Boy Scouts of America organization provides support to groups that charter Explorer posts, the charter agency is responsible for running it and providing all funds and equipment, Hale said.
“At the end of the day, they own the unit, the post, all the funds and equipment,” Hale said.
Even if Fox Lake officials decide they’re no longer interested in running the Explorers post, Hale said it wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the program.
“Ultimately, if we’re not able to communicate with the department, we’d look for another charter department and find someone else to sponsor the program. I don’t think the community is going to want to see this program die,” Hale said.
“Hopefully we can connect with somebody because the kids deserve the program,” he said.
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