State tells Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard her pick for cop chief not cleared for duty

A state agency has told Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard her temporary choice for police chief is “not authorized to exercise law enforcement authority” and urged her to remove him from public service.

Tiffany Henyard, at a Nov. 6 Village Board meeting, named Ronnie Burge Sr. to a temporary 30-day posting as chief, after trustees voted against the appointment.

A Nov. 8 letter from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board states Burge “has been wearing a Dolton Police Department uniform and carrying a firearm publicly for the last few weeks,” even though he’s not authorized to do so.

Henyard tried twice previously to name Burge as chief, and some village trustees sued in Cook County Circuit Court to block the action.

Burge is a former Dolton police chief and also was also chief in Harvey and Dixmoor. In 2021, he ran for Dolton mayor, losing to Henyard.

The standards board said Burge is listed as “inactive” as of April 30, 2021. The letter said Burge has also not received the required requalification to carry a firearm.

The board said it learned of Henyard’s appointment of Burge but had not received an appointment form or request to waive his training, according to the letter from Anthony Cobb, deputy director of the professional standards division.

Until Dolton files necessary paperwork with the state, Burge “has no authority to make arrests or carry a firearm and we strongly encourage you to remove him from public service,” the letter states.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thaddeus Wilson ruled Sept. 25 Henyard didn’t abide by proper procedure when she named Burge as chief, as well as Michael Smith as village administrator and Angela Lockett as village attorney. The judge at that time invalidated Henyard’s appointments.

Henyard, at the Nov. 6 meeting, cited her authority as chief executive in again making those appointments as well as naming McStephen “Max” Solomon as the village’s special counsel, all to 30-day posts.

Solomon is representing Henyard in the lawsuit trustees filed and in a separate eviction case involving a Dolton home the mayor allegedly rents along with a Thornton Township employee. Henyard is also Thornton Township supervisor.

At the Nov. 6 meeting, Henyard said even though trustees voted against it, she was naming Smith executive assistant.

The letter from the police standards board said that, in order to carry a firearm, Burge needs to undergo a requalification, which he hasn’t done since May 2018.

The letter also reminds Henyard that a background check of Burge is needed.

“We also wish to remind you and the Dolton Police Department of your duty to conduct a thorough background check of Mr. Burge’s criminal and employment history before making your determination of appointment,” it reads.

Some trustees said Nov. 6 they hadn’t received any information from the mayor about the salaries Burge and others would receive, nor whether background checks had been completed.

A decision by Wilson, made Nov. 7, said the position of executive assistant is not an appointed position that the mayor is entitled to make, and that the job of special counsel does not exist in Dolton.

The judge said the naming of both were not subject to the temporary restraining order he granted trustees in their lawsuit Sept. 25, but it was not clear if they are cleared to hold the jobs, even on a temporary basis.

Wilson said the appointment of Burge for 30 days, starting Nov. 6, meets the terms of the temporary restraining order but, again, it was not clear if the judge is saying Burge can hold the job for a brief time.

The attorneys representing trustees in their lawsuit challenging Henyard’s appointments did not respond to numerous messages seeking comment.