HINSDALE — The villages of Clarendon Hills and Hinsdale recently reached an impasse in police department consolidation discussions and have agreed to end current efforts to consolidate.
The two villages began to explore consolidated police services with the goal of reducing operating costs without affecting services. The two communities have been exploring consolidated police services in earnest for nearly two years, according to a news release from the Village of Hinsdale, including the development and proposal of legislation to allow municipalities to merge police departments via intergovernmental agreement.
The consolidation was estimated to bring annual savings of $700,000 to $800,000 between the two municipalities.
Over the last several months, the villages worked with the Fraternal Order of Police to discuss potential wages and benefits of the consolidated department. Social security benefits received by Clarendon Hills police officers, but not Hinsdale officers, were identified as a potential roadblock.
The villages and unions continued discussions on other issues while also working with the Social Security Administration to identify alternatives. In the end, the lack of a mutually agreeable solution on the social security problem proved to be insurmountable, according to the news release.
Legal costs associated with the consolidation discussion were paid for with a grant from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Both communities remain committed to working together in other ways to provide services to residents in a cost-effective manner, according to the release.