by Elginet | Jun 22, 2017 | City Talk, General Discussion, General Rant
1.How did Sycamore’s city manager Brian Gregory find out about Glenn Therialt’s self-destruction that night?
2. Will other officers from the Sycamore Police Department come forward with more information now that retaliation by their former Chief is unlikely? Apparently Theriault was not well-liked. (I wonder why?)
3. Will Elgin Police Sgt. Mark Whaley have his license suspended as required by law for anyone who refuses a field-sobriety test? If not, I imagine everyone arrested for DUI in northern Illinois will now be citing “The Whaley Clause” reciting the words “I don’t wanna take any tests!”
I also heard form sources last week that the investigation by Sycamore PD into Glenn Theriault’s self-destruction, was itself, suspended. This was substantiated today with their response for more information when they simply denied the request. Why would they do that? Here’s why….
Theriault has already caused this little city more grief than he’s worth, but if nothing else becomes of this, nothing will happen to Elgin Police Sergeant Mark Whaley, and he’s basically responsible for the entire ordeal.
According to the Daily Herald’s June 6th story, Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said “Any actions taken that night by Theriault were outside Elgin’s jurisdiction”. While true, the calls to EPD’s Cmdr. Colin Fleury in the early hours of April 8th, suggest while “it was outside Elgin’s jurisdiction”, it apparently wasn’t outside Elgin’s Police Department’s influence. Whaley had already been booked for DUI and was then “un-arrested”. Also, anyone who operates a motor vehicle on any road in this state has consented to testing of his blood, breath, or urine. Anyone who fails such testing, or refuses it altogether, will have his license suspended according to Illinois Law.
Elgin Police Deputy Chief Bill Wolf later in that same DH article said this key phrase:
Elgin police launched a formal investigation — meaning Whaley could receive three or more days’ suspension. They hope to receive Sycamore’s investigation report before making a determination.”
But……if in fact, the investigation was suspended in Sycamore, there will be no “report” or findings to make that decision by. They will have succeeded once again (Remember Elgin Police Officer Phil Brown’s DUI?), in making a DUI charge against a police officer, disappear.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::POOOOOOOOOF!!!:::::::::::::::::::
It’s like….magic.
by Elginet | Jun 1, 2017 | City Talk, General Discussion, General Rant, Uncategorized
June 1, 2017 – By Bill O’Neill
For the last year now, the City of Elgin has been failing to produce documents specifically asked for via FOIA. The Freedom of Information Act is not only state law, but Federal as well. It’s intent is to assure to us (anyone tax-paying citizen), transparency in government. The City of Elgin has been using FOIA’s for the opposite. It shields the elitists most of the time, by burning others as a diversion.
Specifics you ask? Well….a year ago I was informed by someone of an officer’s bad temper and said that if I didn’t believe it, to look at the officer’s history of domestic violence. The officer in question was Sgt. Eric Echevarria. So I did that. I FOIA’d the department for complaints or internal reports concerning him. Their reply? “none exist”. I knew at least one report in 2015 did in fact, “exist” so now I had to get creative. I knew everything about this case down to the report number. After another 6 months of beating around the bush only to get stonewalled, I finally got that report which proved what I’m typing tonight is in fact, fact. I received not only that, but more. One incident even occurring at a city-owned Rope house! The only way they released that report was when I had to ask for it by address. It clearly had Eric Echevarria’s name in it. That one should have been returned when I asked for reports involving him in June of last year. Instead, they juke and run at every opportunity.
Speaking of that (city-owned) ROPE house, These photos (click here for the full album!) are also from that same ROPE house. Big deal you say….some under-age teen scantily dressed, took a photo by a squad-car. Look closer at the photo. Aside from this being a party AT the ROPE house, this (then only 19 years old) underage teen is holding a beer, she’s posing her crotch-shot on the top of an Elgin Squad with (then Lt.) Deputy Chief Bill Wolf clearly in the background watching.
I’ve said this at least 100 times over the last year. When you’re in the clique, you’re golden. God help you though if you’re not in their clique. They’ll shove you out, light you on fire and watch you burn while they’re enjoying a cool beer and an underage chick posing for photos. These photos were from 10/27/2007. Yeah, they’re 10 years old but the only thing that fact holds relevant, is again, what I’ve said 101 times now….When you’re in the clique, you’re golden.
A short time after these photos were taken for the pleasure of Lt. Bill Wolf, they threw one of their own into the pit and lit em on fire to protect another clique-member, officer Phil Brown. The officer then sacrificed was Lt. Sean Rafferty. Probably the best, most decorated & honest police officer on the department but now being accused of racism because he was chosen as the officer to conduct the internal investigation into Phil Brown’s clusterf*ck. This was their only way out, their smoke-screen so they executed their plan and the Daily Herald and Courier Newspapers of course did all they could to see he burned to a crisp, even if it was for no other reason than to protect the clique. Once the smoke and mirrors were pulled out, Rafferty’s flawless career was tarnished and Brown…..he went back to being a school liaison officer at Elgin High School where he is now.
What no one ever reported about that photograph of Rafferty and Wolek is that there was third person in that picture originally. Officer Al Young. A young-black officer who was cut out of the picture because…. how could they use that for calling him a racist, if he’s with a black officer? Since then, the newspapers have done all they could to enforce the falsehoods these people are handing down as facts, and our City Council just sits on their hands.
Fast-Forward to 2014. Jason Lentz bucked the system when reporting his Lt. Matt Udelhoven for taking inappropriate photos of a 12 year old female suicide victim. Udelhoven received no disciplinary actions for his tasteless act according to the City. He simply and quietly requested to be self-demoted back to Sgt. This alone has to tell you how absolutely vile this was, that they were forced to deal with it concerning one of their own now…..but without shame and certainly not the fan-fair of Rafferty, Lentz or Sharp. Unlike Lentz who’s name on the internet yeilds 100’s maybe 1000’s of returns linking him to a supposedly questionable post on Facebook but good luck finding the articles that reported that the City cleared him of any wrong-doing. Jason Lentz got his job back, with back-pay.
Next on their hit-list was officer Paul Sharp. Right up there with Rafferty and Lentz as being one of the best, he made someones’s sh*t-list and the next thing you know, he’s also being threatened with termination. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get the Kane County State’s Attorney to see it their way so they had to keep him on the payroll. Yeah, they stuck him behind a desk but I’m sure it kills them every day to still see him there! 😉
In January of this year, my first FOIA to the City was for emails to and from Jeff Swoboda for 2015 & 2016. (It was apparent over the year that they were not forthcoming with some documents I’d asked foor. Side-note: Previously in 2014 and 2015 I had FOIA’d the department for emails to and from Sean Stegall (then City Manager) and emails regarding Jason Lentz and Paul Sharp. The City had no problem returning these to me and in one case, because the number of emails, provided them on a disc.
Elgin Police Department is riddled with great cops who live under the thumb of 2 people and they can’t complain about anything because, who would they complain to? Most of their supervisors are so far up the Chief’s butt he no longer requires an endoscopy every year. At the stroke of a carefully worded “Press Release”, they’ll trash whoever tries to oppose them BS story and the papers will print it because after all, it’s an “official press release” from the Chief! Make no mistake, one hand washes the other when it comes to the 2 local papers.
It’s June 1st, 6 months after my first request and I still have not received what I asked for on January 1st of this year. In March, I even lessened my request to only be for emails for 1 year. As of today, I haven’t received those either. Complaints have been filed with the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
The Police Chief, and Deputy Chief apparently believe they’re above the law. Is it any wonder that former Elgin Police Department Commander Glenn Theriault UN-ARRESTED EPD Sgt. Mark Whaley? This is just a continuation of the standing “system” and the only people who have the ability to change it, are our Mayor, Dave Kaptain and our City Council. I’ve created an email address on Elginet that if you send one-email to, to are sending it to all of them, including the new City Manager Rick Kozal. That email address is ElginCityCouncil@elginet.com
PLEASE feel free to send them a message asking them for once and for all, to provide the open/transparent government, our State has guaranteed us BY LAW.
What the City of Elgin needs, is a Citizen Police oversight committee that looks into these questionable cases and calls out the falsehoods contained in them. Maybe call it the Elgin Crime Commission. Because they’re things this Administration is not telling you regarding crimes but….there’s no checks and balance system so they can get away with it forever if we let them. People on this committee must be something other than the bobbing heads that have been on other committees.
by Elginet | May 22, 2017 | City Talk, General Discussion
May 21, 2017 – Where’s Glenn? 43 Days without so much as a simple comment after the very public un-arrest of former work-buddy Mark Whaley, a Sergeant on the Elgin Police Department!
43 days since Sycamore Police Chief “un-arrested” Elgin Police Department Mark Whaley for DUI. Keep in mind, it was almost a month before any of this information was even put out there which leads one to believe that they really thought it would just go away, unnoticed.
Video of the 1:40am traffic stop by Sycamore Police Officer Luke Kampmeier pretty much shows us an (allegedly) impaired driver who couldn’t remember what he’d told the police officer less than a minute before. That driver, Elgin Police Sergeant Mark Whaley appeared agitated when Kampmeier asked simple questions like “where are you coming from?” to which his answer changed from having just dropped off his wife and kid, to coming from training.. Once told he would have to get out of the vehicle, Whaley clearly states more than once, that he wasn’t going to or didn’t want to take any (field-sobriety) tests. Such a response by the average driver in Illinois would yield an instant suspension of your driving privileges. I also find it hard to believe that Whaley was unarmed. A member of Elgin Police Department’s SWAT team supposedly “coming from training”. Think about that one for a few minutes.
80 minutes after being arrested, Whaley was released with Kampmeier stating “well it looks like you’re going to be un-arrested”. Whaley got his personal items and left and one of the officers was ordered to take Sgt. Whaley home.
Nothing about this story surfaced for weeks. Not until April 26th, did anyone in Sycamore or Elgin learn of this until the Daily Chronicle published the story about Theriault being on an indefinite paid leave. 18 days. Even then it took weeks for Sycamore PD to release information via FOIA. By State Law, they have 5 days to respond to a FOIA request, and the ability to request another 5 days. By that time though, the truth was out there, just not being acknowledged. Clearly there was an over-step of the legal process by the Chief Glenn Theriault, not to mention the ethical issues but what we don’t know is who or what brought attention to it in the first place to make the City Manager place him on paid-leave during the internal investigation?
Then you need to think about the Elgin Sgt. who was arrested (or un-arrested!) for DUI in the first place. Was the Kampmeier wrong in making that arrest? Video evidence says no. If this was a headlight out, or just rolling a stop-sign, I could see a professional courtesy letting the officer go with a warning. Lord knows, it’s happened out there enough with another Elgin Police Officer.
Sources told Elginet that Elgin Police Officer Linda Williamson had been pulled over by Sycamore PD as well as Kane County and Dekalb County Sheriff’s office for excessively speeding and in all but one instance, she received that professional courtesy. One Sgt. however, decided enough was enough though and decided she would get a citation for doing 95mph in a 50 zone. The early morning hours of April 8th I would say more than warranted the stop (hearing Whaley on the Dashcam video) or…. they were sick of extending that courtesy again.
Regardless, answers need to be given. What’s happening to Theriault? Here’s what my money’s on.
Glenn Theriault is negotiating a golden parachute (Much like EPD’s Robert Beeter), in exchange for his resignation. Then in a month or so when things die down, he’ll turn up someplace like Rockford PD working with his old pal Dan O’Shea.
As for Whaley……he’ll probably get the same punishment handed to him, that was given to a U46 School Resource Officer Phil Brown years ago. A 1-day suspension.
Keep asking questions Sycamore and Elgin!
by Elginet | May 11, 2017 | City Talk, General Discussion
For those of you who are just joining us, the long and short of the story is that Sycamore Police Chief Glenn Theriault, a former Elgin Police Department Commander, was removed from his post and placed on (paid) leave for an incident that as of right now, we only know to have occurred on April 8th or 9th of this year.
Sources told Elginet Media 2 weeks ago of this incident and said it had involved the DUI arrest of an Elgin Police Sergeant. After making us wait for maximum amount of time allowed by Illinois FOIA laws, the city released to me, a list of DUI Arrests for 2017. In that list, the name of an Elgin Police Sergeant (Mark Whaley) was in fact present. The entire story wreaks of the Elgin PD “Good Ole-Boy” system that’s been in place for years.
The DUI list consisted of name, citation number and arresting officer. In the list of 37 names, 2 had the citation number missing. One of them was for Mark Whaley. This can only be seen as one more way to prolong the media from getting to all of the information so we can keep the residents of Elgin and Sycamore informed.
Here is a timeline and details of the event as we now know from yesterday’s disclosure.
04/08th or 9th, 2017 – We still have no idea exactly what or what time this incident occurred, but we do know that it was a very serious incident. Sources and documents obtained yesterday point to something that occurred with the DUI arrest of Mark Whaley
04/11/2017 7:52 am – Chief Theriault emails city manager Brian Gregory to confirm an earlier (text?) conversation saying:
Not sure if my text went through …
Still in dismay. Now that I’ve had some time to digest however I’d like to have a brief conversation early this morning before you get going. Just want to offer a few thoughts, particularly as it relates to what happens after this given I am extremely confident the outcome will be exonerated. Should be no more than 5-10 minutes.
Deny, Deny, Deny! Apparently his talk didn’t do well.
04/11/2017 12:15pm Chief Theriault is sent his “Leave Letter”. That letter from the city manager states:
Dear Glenn:
After further consideration and review, I have determined that the best option for all is to place you on temporary paid administrative leave effective April 11, 2017 pending the outcome of an internal investigation. During the period of your administrative leave you are forbidden from exercising statutory police powers or taking any police action beyond that available as a citizen. During your administrative leave, you may not be on City property without my authorization. You are also ordered to turn in your department issued firearm, badge, police department identification card, car, and any other City owned property to myself.
While on leave you are not to have contact with anyone in the City of Sycamore organization and shall direct any questions to me.
04/12/2017 11:05am – Deputy Chief Jim Winters sends the following broadcast email to everyone inside Sycamore Police Department:
To all Sycamore Police Department Employees:
The City Is conducting an internal investigation into events that took place on April 8 and 9, 2017, involving the arrest of an individual for driving under the influence. In order for the City to conduct a thorough and complete investigation, I am directing you to preserve all documents and electronically stored information that may be relevant to this Investigation. This includes, but is not limited to:
Any arrest records from April 8 and 9, 2017;
Any in-squad video from April 8 and 9, 2017;
Any video from inside the Police Department from April 8 and 9, 2017; and
Any e-mails, faxes, correspondence, reports, summaries or records of conversations, notes, or any other documents or information regarding the events of April 8 and 9, 2017, no matter where they are located.
04/12/2017 2:11pm – The Sycamore city manager sends a broadcast email to all employees telling them that there is an internal investigation (which everyone should already know about!) This email also tells employees that a firm has been retained to conduct an independent investigation on the City’s behalf. (Shouldn’t this be investigated by the Illinois State Police???) That email states the following:
All Police Personnel,
The City is in the process of conducting an internal investigation Into events that took place on April 8 and 9, 2017, involving the arrest of an Individual for driving under the influence, and related matters. In addition to legal counsel, the City has retained REM Management Services Inc. to conduct an independent Investigation on the City’s behalf. I urge anyone who may be contacted by REM to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. During the pendency of the investigation, please do not discuss this matter with anyone else, other than your Union representative or legal counsel.
Brian Gregory
04/24/2017 7:36am – The City Manager receives an email from a firm called Hillard Heitze Professional Standards Services which appears to be a solicitation letter to the city for their services. Why this information was enclosed in the FOIA request is a baffler. The Deputy Chief had already said the City had retained REM Management Services, Inc 12 days prior, to conduct the investigation. Is the City of Sycamore doubling-down on their investigation? I wonder what the cost of this will be?
Stay Tuned. We will bring you more information as soon as we have it.
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