Darien settles with police chief
Photo 
Steve DeVoy
DARIEN — After 11 long, bitter months, the Darien Village Board on Tuesday reached a settlement with suspended Police Chief Steve DeVoy.
The offer is designed to help DeVoy move forward to find new employment, village attorney Mark Hazelbaker said.
The board met in closed session for more than three hours Wednesday, and in open session voted 4-2 to accept the offer crafted by attorneys for both sides.
The settlement is not finalized because hearing officer Scott Herrick must approve it, Hazelbaker said. Hazelbaker would not share details about the offer and reminded board members not to speak about it.
But generally, he said the terms call for the chief to be reinstated, and then tender his resignation. DeVoy will stay on the village payroll for a stated period of time and be paid a severance package, Hazelbaker said.
“It has been an extremely difficult time in the village’s history,” Hazelbaker said. “I think it’s time for Chief DeVoy to move forward and allow the village to move forward.”
The settlement comes just days before a scheduled hearing in which Herrick could have upheld or overturned the board’s decision in March to fire the chief.
The village board has held a series of closed-session meetings about the matter since before the April elections. On Tuesday, the board met in a library conference room while members of the public waited in the foyer of the library. DeVoy and his attorney huddled among the bookshelves to talk.
This is the second time DeVoy has been invited to a board meeting since he was suspended. The last time was in August when the two sides talked about a possible settlement.
DeVoy has not worked in the village since December when he was suspended with pay after employees found surveillance cameras in the police department.
The situation has caused a divide in the small village in western Walworth County. Board meetings have commonly included arguments among elected officials and members of the audience.
Split board votes have been common throughout the matter. On Tuesday, President Evelyn Etten and board member Debi Olmstead voted against the settlement. Board members Jim Abbot, Cheryl Kaufenberg, Kurt Zipp and Bob Wenzel voted in favor. Board member Craig McCue was absent because he is ill.
DeVoy has worked at the Darien Police Department for more than 20 years and has been chief since 2003. The village so far has paid DeVoy $65,837 in wages and benefits in 2009, although the chief did not work.
Through August, the village had spent $81,000 on attorneys other than municipal court services. Not all legal costs pertained to the chief, but the legal fees so far this year are higher than they have been for twelve months of any recent year, according to village data.
Nov 15, 2009 at 11:10 p.m.
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Maltese must think he's going to be the next chief. Maybe the 4 board members who screwed our chief want that. But that guy is so not qualified for that position.
I think we should go with shutting down the police department and having the county police us now rather than put that guy in charge.
I bet all the police resign now if they have to work for him.
What do we need? A new board. Those old school people are clearly not for the people.
Nov 13, 2009 at 12:58 a.m.
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To you, the reader of these comments, what were you doing 20+ years ago? Can you even remember? 20+ years is a long time to dedicate your law enforcement career or any career period. 20+ years and this is how it ends for Chief DeVoy in Darien?!? Life IS a wheel and I hope it rolls right over everyone that is actually happy with this account. I heard Metzner and Putman were just laughing it up. Absolute insanity that makes one nauseous to think that someone's hallucination of being important in this tiny little nothing village is more important than someone's career or livelihood when he was only doing his job to begin with.
I agree with all who have said it so far, all of us in this insane Village of Darien are absolutely doomed with it absolutely obvious who is to blame.
Nov 12, 2009 at 11:06 p.m.
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I agree with TP Resident
There seems to be enuf out there to prevent the baby cop from being elected chief.
He's arrogant and talks 'down' to his officers (who I have heard are quitting right and left. Talk about NO confidence!)
He and the Village Administrator are what we called in Chicago 'partners in crime'. They are protected by the crooked politics.
If the board votes for Maltese as chief I would unelect the stupid ones who voted for him ASAP. If they ONLY had a brain..... one WHOLE one, between them, that said you represent WE, the PEOPLE!
Nov 12, 2009 at 10:27 p.m.
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So what if the ignoramuses (4 board members) decide to promote the sgt to chief?
I think there needs to be a background check on him not only regarding his education and NON-qualifications but also why and how he got a prior Police Chief fired where he worked.
He seems to be trouble with a capital T and needs to be investigated. I doubt he'd pass a psych test.
But the present 4 board members who are intent on their own power agendas won't let that stop them from installing a guy who will end up costing the villagers tons of money in lawsuits due to the guy being unqualified for the position.
Why should those 4 they care - ain't their money!
Nov 12, 2009 at 10:16 p.m.
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Wow! Multiple blog postings for me.
Oops! I'm off topic but I was just thinking about a movie, "The MALTESE Falcon". I think we all know how vicious falcons can be. Scary!
I don’t want to plagiarize so I will credit IDBM as the source for my quotes. Keep in mind, it’s only a movie.
“It's thrilling . . . it's chilling . . . it's the most baffling mystery story in years!”
“A story as explosive as his blazing automatics!”
“A guy without a conscience!”
“He's a Killer When He Hates!”
FUN WITH WORDS
Nov 12, 2009 at 3:52 p.m.
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Well, well, well. The powers that be have gotten what they wanted. What did they get? Let's review:
1. A police department in which no one self-respecting police officer would apply to, either for the chief's job or that of patrol officer.
2. A person who has no business being an officer, much less a sgt., much less an acting chief but more than likely will be named chief.
3. A village board who has shown a blatant disregard for common sense.
For those of you that think keeping Maltese as a sgt. is a good idea, guess again. For those who think it's as easy as simply putting out a want ad for chief, guess again. Ask yourself this: Would you apply with Maltese as your 2nd in command and with a village board which has already proven to be a bunch of petty, bitter people?
Good luck Darien.
Nov 12, 2009 at 12:50 p.m.
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No one has stated that there was any intent on hiring the Sgt. as our Full Time Chief. You have one thing right Willie, he is not the right guy for the job. I have nothing to say about his duties as a police officer but, he is in no way shape or form the person for the Chief's position. If only we can leave this behind us and help the Village heal its wounds. Options for the policing of Darien need to be investigated. "ALL options" should be considered.
Nov 12, 2009 at 9:04 a.m.
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You can infer from the settlement, that Chief DeVoy was vindicated and the taxpayers of Darien were once again duped by the Old Guard, The Good Old Boys, The Watergate Four, or whatever name you use for the powers that run the show in Darien. Let’s breakdown the inferences: -1- Once approved by the hired gun that would have conducted the kangaroo court for the cause, spelled KAWZ for Kaufenberg, Abbott, Wenzel, and Zipp, Chief DeVoy will be reinstated without a single blemish on his already unblemished personnel file. Didn’t the KAWZ say that he was guilty of things that were KAWZ for termination? Winner-Chief DeVoy. -2- Once approved by the hired gun that would have conducted the kangaroo court for the cause, spelled KAWZ for Kaufenberg, Abbott, Wenzel, and Zipp, Chief DeVoy, after being reinstated with a clean record, not even a single work rule violation, will honorably and in good standing, resign. In exchange for his resignation, Chief DeVoy will receive a severance package, probably equal to 5-6 months worth of salary and benefits and, no coincidence here, enough to cover all of his legal fees. Winner-Chief DeVoy. -3- Chief DeVoy will, in the very near future, resume his law enforcement career with another community and his nightmare, unwarranted and unjustified as it was, will finally be over. Winner- Chief DeVoy. The total cost for this fiasco driven by the KAWZ will have cost the taxpayers approximately $200,000. In the end, the KAWZ will have spent $200,000 to gain total control over the Police Department. The next quest for the KAWZ will be to gain control of the Police Committee and they have already started to do that. Darien, you get what you vote for. KAWZ and Effect equals a Loser – The Taxpayers of Darien.
Nov 12, 2009 at 7:50 a.m.
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Glad it's over. Think it was fair to both sides.
Nov 11, 2009 at 11:06 p.m.
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Wow. A man's job, his family, their future, and his mortgage are destroyed now.
Hope those 4 board members can sleep at night knowing what they did to the guy.
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