The Cook County sheriff’s police were called in to Robbins Saturday to patrol the village after the remaining members of the municipality’s dwindling Police Department called off indefinitely in protest of low pay and a lack of resources.
“Our lives are just put on the line, and it seems like the village does not care,” said Detective Cmdr. Hurman Mathus, who also serves as a union representative for Robbins police.
Mathus said the department typically has between 20 and 30 officers, all of whom are classified part time except for the chief and deputy chief, but those numbers have narrowed to 14 recently, not including six in the academy. Those who remain on staff have called off indefinitely because they do not feel their concerns are being addressed by the Robbins Village Board.
“At this point, we’re tired of the pay; we’re tired of being ignored,” Mathus said. “We have substandard equipment. A lot of us are providing our own equipment. Every officer is wearing an expired bulletproof vest.”
Resignations, mostly of rank-and-file officers, have plagued Robbins, with many finding jobs in other departments that start at $40,000 to $55,000 a year plus benefits, Mathus said. Robbins starts officers at $11.50 to 12.50 an hour coming in the door, with no benefits. Sergeants start at $13 an hour.
Mathus, who has been there for two and a half years, makes $15.15 an hour in his role when he is working, but he was placed on unpaid administrative leave Friday for “conduct unbecoming an officer” and “treatment of an employee” after he got into an argument with village staff over frustrations regarding a new position and new hires elsewhere in the village when the police cannot get needed resources.
“Now, people have to worry if they have a difference of opinion around there, they’re going to be disciplined for that,” Mathus said.
Before that leave, Mathus said he was cut a two-week check with 146 hours on it, compared to what is typically 80-90 hours in that span. His partner recently worked 126 hours over two weeks, and another detective put in 107 hours, he said. Most officers are working well over the three days a week that is typically a maximum for part time, accruing double and triple time because of the staff shortage.
“It’s even at the point now where it’s affecting the detective division, because we have to come out and work the streets instead of working cases because we’re so short,” Mathus said.
The department’s sergeants and commanders have been out of contract since 2020. The officers got a one-year contract that gave them a $1 raise, but it expires in November, Mathus said. There has been little progress in negotiations, he said, and the union has filed grievances and unfair labor practice complaints.
“All of that has gone unanswered,” he said.
Mayor Darren Bryant, elected in April, posted a letter Saturday that said the village is working with its Police and Fire departments to keep Robbins safe. He said that, in addition to sheriff’s police, Robbins reached out to surrounding communities for assistance.
“These concerns are not new,” he wrote. “In fact, these concerns are inherited. As a new administration, it is important to note that properly vetted leadership must be in place in order to produce progress.”
Bryant said the village recently hired new leadership for both the Police and Fire departments, which is needed in collaboration with legal counsel for any type of negotiation.
“We have faith that sustainable progress will be made to set the foundation for prosperity in our community for generations to come,” he wrote.
But he said any solution must consider the needs of the community during a time of economic uncertainty.
Mathus acknowledged issues go back to the prior administration, but noted Bryant was a village trustee at the time. Mathus said police had a meeting with Bryant after he became mayor and tried to give him time, but he noted it has been five months since Bryant took office.
“If you were aware of these problems and you ran on the fact that you wanted to make the Police Department better, wanted to make the officers full time, wanted to get equipment and all of that, it seems like it would have been one of the plans you would have had walking in the door,” Mathus said.
And Mathus said other problems have continued despite the change in administration. The checks police get are sometimes wrong, for instance, with officers shorted hours, holiday pay and overtime rates, and uniform allowances, Mathus said.
Mathus also said there has been no real effort to fill vacancies.
“No one needs to go out there and take a chance on getting shot,” Mathus said. “Heaven forbid they do, and then we’re wondering why a bullet went through a vest. I don’t want to hear that it was an ‘inherited’ problem if an officer’s down shot. That’s not an excuse at all.”
Following the departure of former Chief Roy Wells, the Village Board is expected to appoint David Sheppard as police chief Tuesday, Mathus said. Sheppard previously worked for Cook County and Merrionette Park.
“He is trying to make a good-faith effort to settle a lot of this,” Mathus said of Sheppard. “We have told them what we need to at least come back to work right away. One of the main things is every officer hits the street with brand-new body armor.”
Bryant has scheduled a news conference Monday afternoon to address public safety in the village.
Check back for updates.
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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