The man picked to temporarily run Dolton’s Police Department is not cleared for duty, the state’s law enforcement standards board ruled.
It was another eventful village board meeting in south suburban Dolton Monday night as Mayor Tiffany Henyard once again told residents she’ll be victorious in her run for a second term.
Many in the audience left or stood with their backs to the mayor when she spoke.
“Know this – I am going to come through on a landslide just like Trump did,” Henyard said. “Like it or not, I am your mayor.”
But in the coming days, Henyard’s hand-picked choice for interim police chief will be out of a job.
A judge said Ronnie Burge Sr. could only serve for 30 days, making his last day on the job Dec. 6.
In a letter, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board said that Burge has no authority to make arrests or carry a firearm until the necessary documents were submitted to determine if he’s eligible for reactivation and a training waiver.
“After Friday, [Henyard] has to find a new person to serve as chief, and we as trustees, hope to have a say…and if we deem that person not a good fit for the role, they will not be approved by the board and the process will start over,” said Trustee Jason House.
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The Dolton Police Department has been without a chief for most of the year. We asked House, who is also running for mayor, about morale in the department.
“It is a challenge, but they are hanging in there. We are trying to give them all the support they need during this challenging time," House said.
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Also noteworthy, the investigation former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot started in April is winding down with a full report expected in January.
