Contract to go before Lake County commissioners for approval
Concord Township’s trustees have unanimously approved a new contract with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to add a second around-the-clock patrol in the township.
Lake County Sheriff Frank Leonbruno said that the increase would have a “big impact” for the community and allow for a quicker response to incidents.
“Having two deputies assigned to Concord Township gives us the ability to respond to crime, accidents, do proactive patrols and properly maintain the safety and security of Concord Township,” Leonbruno said.
“When you only have one deputy sheriff that’s present and they’re tied up on one accident, they can’t respond to a theft at one of the stores,” he added later. “They can’t respond to an alarm. They can’t respond to other crashes.”
Leonbruno said that with the increased staffing, residents would see patrol cars more often.
“We’d like to be proactive and be out proactively providing security to the neighborhoods, not just on the major thoroughfares but through cul de sacs and side roads,” he said.
Leonbruno said that the Lake County commissioners also fund two to three deputies that can respond to emergencies in Concord Township and the three other townships that the Sheriff’s Office covers. The sheriff’s office can also provide its SWAT and dive teams as needed.
Chief Deputy Robert Izzo told the trustees at their Dec. 4 meeting that the new agreement provides “stability.”
“I feel like we’re in a good place,” Izzo said.
The trustees attributed the increase in staffing to an additional fire levy that Concord Township voters approved on Nov. 5. Although the levy funded fire operations, the trustees said that it freed up funding from a separate safety services levy that they could use for sheriff’s deputy staffing.
The new agreement reverses cuts that the trustees made to sheriff’s deputy staffing earlier this year, after voters rejected a safety services levy increase in 2023.
Under the terms of the new contract, the township would pay more than $1.5 million for staffing in 2024 and more than $1.6 million in 2025 and 2026.
Trustees commented on the new agreement at their Dec. 4 meeting.
“The sheriff’s department has a very experienced and professional cadre of deputy sheriffs and they provide not only basic patrol service, but a lot of other services to our community that we’re thankful for,” said Trustee Carl Dondorfer, who formerly served with the sheriff’s office. “So, I’m proud that we were able to accomplish that, thank you to Concord Township.”
“I agree with Chief Deputy Izzo, to allow more depth with deputies into our community is super important and I’m so thankful that our residents felt that way also,” added Trustee Amy Lucci.
Trustee Morgan McIntosh said that the township had changed over the past 10 to 15 years.
“What managed itself back then doesn’t cut the mustard today,” he said. “We have a very busy business center. We have a lot of things going on, and this is just needed. There was no extra, there is no luxury about this.”
The contract now goes before the Lake County commissioners for approval. Township Administrator Andy Rose said that the township expects it to pass at the commissioners’ next meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 10.