Lake Forest police officers are now working under a new four-year contract featuring salary increases each year.
The City Council approved the new pact at its June 17 meeting.
“It is the latest in a continuing history of respect between the city and our police officers union,” City Manager Jason Wicha said at the meeting. “I think we work very well together in trying to find alignment in trying to do what is best for our officers, and making sure they are well taken care of while also doing so in a way that ensures the financial sustainability of the city.”
The new contract runs through April 30, 2028. It covers the 30 patrol officers now on the force.
The union ratified the agreement in April, according to city documents.
Attempts to reach a spokesman for the police union were unsuccessful.
Highlights of the new pact include pay raises of 4.25% in the 2025 fiscal year, 3.75% in 2026 and 2027, and 3.5% in 2028. Since the previous agreement expired May 1, officers will receive retroactive pay for the time they were working without a contract.
The average salary for a Lake Forest officer is $108,227, Wicha said after the meeting. The top pay is $119,129. The new agreement also includes increases and adjustments in several categories, including longevity pay, officers working the night shift and holiday pay.
Like many other communities, Lake Forest has a lateral hiring program for police as a way of hiring experienced police officers. There are currently four vacancies in the department, according to Wicha.
“We have a new police entry list and plan to hire several off that list and send those candidates to the police academy in September,” he wrote in an e-mail.
Meanwhile, the city is in the process of hiring a new chief, following the retirement of Karl Walldorf earlier this year. Michael Lange has been serving as interim chief in the last few months. Wicha said the city plans to announce the hiring of a permanent police chief in August.
Also, the City Council is set to decide later this summer whether to purchase a Conway Park office building to convert it into a new police headquarters.
