Division 3-7. Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board  

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7001) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7001)
    Sec. 3-7001. Maintenance of county police department. The Sheriff in each county having more than 1,000,000 inhabitants shall maintain a division to be known as the County Police Department and to consist of such deputy sheriffs charged with the duty of law enforcement in such county as may be selected as hereinafter provided.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7002) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7002)
    Sec. 3-7002. Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board. There is created the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board, hereinafter called the Board, consisting of 7 members appointed by the Sheriff with the advice and consent of the county board, except that on and after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1997, the Sheriff may appoint 2 additional members, with the advice and consent of the county board, at his or her discretion. Of the members first appointed, one shall serve until the third Monday in March, 1965 one until the third Monday in March, 1967, and one until the third Monday in March, 1969. Of the 2 additional members first appointed under authority of this amendatory Act of 1991, one shall serve until the third Monday in March, 1995, and one until the third Monday in March, 1997. Of the 2 additional members first appointed under the authority of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, one shall serve until the third Monday in March, 2005 and one shall serve until the third Monday in March, 2006.
    Upon the expiration of the terms of office of those first appointed (including the 2 additional members first appointed under authority of this amendatory Act of 1991 and under the authority of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly), their respective successors shall be appointed to hold office from the third Monday in March of the year of their respective appointments for a term of 6 years and until their successors are appointed and qualified for a like term. As additional members are appointed under authority of this amendatory Act of 1997, their terms shall be set to be staggered consistently with the terms of the existing Board members. No more than 3 members of the Board shall be affiliated with the same political party, except that as additional members are appointed by the Sheriff under authority of this amendatory Act of 1997 and under the authority of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, the political affiliation of the Board shall be such that no more than one-half of the members plus one additional member may be affiliated with the same political party. No member shall have held or have been a candidate for an elective public office within one year preceding his or her appointment.
    The Sheriff may deputize members of the Board.
(Source: P.A. 90-447, eff. 8-16-97; 90-511, eff. 8-22-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-722, eff. 6-2-00.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7003) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7003)
    Sec. 3-7003. Compensation and expenses of board members. Each member of the Board shall receive compensation for each day during which he is engaged in transacting the business of the Board and, in addition thereto, his actual traveling and other expenses necessarily incurred in discharging the duties of his office. No member of the Board shall receive compensation of more than $25,000 in any fiscal year, except that the Chairman shall receive compensation of no more than $30,000 in any fiscal year. Such compensation expenses shall be paid by the county.
(Source: P.A. 91-722, eff. 6-2-00.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7004) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7004)
    Sec. 3-7004. Clerical and technical staff assistants. The Board is authorized to employ such clerical and technical staff assistants as may be necessary to enable the Board to transact its business and to fix their compensation.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7005) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7005)
    Sec. 3-7005. Meetings. As soon as practicable after the members of the Board have been appointed, they shall meet, upon the call of the Sheriff, and shall organize by selecting a chairman and a secretary. The initial chairman and secretary, and their successors, shall be selected by the Board from among its members for a term of 2 years or for the remainder of their term of office as a member of the Board, whichever is the shorter. Two members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except that as additional members are appointed under authority of this amendatory Act of 1997, the number of members that must be present to constitute a quorum shall be the number of members that constitute at least 40% of the Board. The Board shall hold regular quarterly meetings and such other meetings as may be called by the chairman.
(Source: P.A. 90-447, eff. 8-16-97; 90-511, eff. 8-22-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7006) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7006)
    Sec. 3-7006. Rules, regulations and procedures; ranks. Pursuant to recognized merit principles of public employment, the Board shall formulate, adopt, and put into effect rules, regulations and procedures for its operation and the transaction of its business. The Board shall establish a classification of ranks including those positions which shall be exempt from merit classification. The Board shall establish a classification of ranks of the deputy sheriffs in the County Police Department, a classification of all correctional officer employees in the County Department of Corrections, and a classification of all full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers and shall set standards and qualifications for each such rank and employee.
    For the purposes of this Division, "full-time" means an average work week of 40 hours throughout the calendar year.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7007) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7007)
    Sec. 3-7007. Compensation for ranks. The Board shall propose to the County Board the range of compensation for each of the designated ranks or propose a single rate of compensation for each deputy sheriff in a particular rank. Such range or rate shall provide for a fair and reasonable compensation for services rendered.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7008) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7008)
    Sec. 3-7008. Appointments. The appointment of deputy sheriffs in the Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers and of employees in the Department of Corrections shall be made from those applicants who have been certified by the Board as being qualified for appointment. Certification for appointment in one department shall not constitute certification for appointment in another department. All persons so appointed shall, at the time of their appointment, be not less than 21 years of age, or 20 years of age and have successfully completed 2 years of law enforcement studies at an accredited college or university. Any person appointed subsequent to successful completion of 2 years of such law enforcement studies shall not have power of arrest, nor shall he or she be permitted to carry firearms, until he or she reaches 21 years of age. In addition, all persons so appointed shall be not more than the maximum age limit fixed by the Board from time to time, be of sound mind and body, be of good moral character, be citizens of the United States, have not been convicted of a crime which the Board considers to be detrimental to the applicant's ability to carry out his or her duties, possess such prerequisites of training, education and experience as the Board may from time to time prescribe, and shall be required to pass successfully mental, physical, psychiatric and other tests and examinations as may be prescribed by the Board. Preference shall be given in such appointments to persons who have honorably served in the military or naval services of the United States. Before entering upon his or her duties, each deputy sheriff in the County Police Department shall execute a good and sufficient bond, payable to the People of the State of Illinois, in the penal sum of $1,000 and to the Sheriff of the County where he or she is employed in the sum of $10,000, conditioned on the faithful performance of his or her duties. All appointees shall serve a probationary period of 12 months and during that period may be discharged at the will of the Sheriff. However, civil service employees of the house of correction who have certified status at the time of the transfer of the house of correction to the County Department of Corrections are not subject to this probationary period, and they shall retain their job titles, such tenure privileges as are now enjoyed and any subsequent title changes shall not cause reduction in rank or elimination of positions.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7009) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7009)
    Sec. 3-7009. Promotions. Promotion of deputy sheriffs in the County Police Department, full-time deputy sheriffs not employed as county police officers or county corrections officers, and of employees in the County Department of Corrections shall be made by the sheriff from those candidates who have been certified to him as being qualified for promotion. Certification for promotion in one department shall not constitute certification for promotion in another department. The Board shall make certifications for promotions on the basis of ascertained merit, experience and physical, mental and other tests and examinations. Those promoted shall serve a probationary period of 12 months and during that period may be reduced to their former rank at the will of the Board. Employees of the house of correction whose names, at the time of the transfer of the house of correction to the County Department of Corrections, appear on a civil service promotional register, shall retain the same status insofar as their eligibility to comparable positions in the employ of the County Department of Corrections is concerned.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7010) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7010)
    Sec. 3-7010. Rules governing appointments and promotions. All appointments and promotions shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Division and the rules and regulations of the Board without considering the political affiliation of any applicant.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7011) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7011)
    Sec. 3-7011. Disciplinary measures. Disciplinary measures prescribed by the Board may be taken by the sheriff for the punishment of infractions of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Board. Such disciplinary measures may include suspension of any deputy sheriff in the County Police Department, any full-time deputy sheriff not employed as a county police officer or county corrections officer and any employee in the County Department of Corrections for a reasonable period, not exceeding 30 days, without complying with the provisions of Section 3-7012 hereof.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7012) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7012)
    Sec. 3-7012. Removal, demotion or suspension. Except as is otherwise provided in this Division, no deputy sheriff in the County Police Department, no full-time deputy sheriff not employed as a county police officer or county corrections officer and no employee in the County Department of Corrections shall be removed, demoted or suspended except for cause, upon written charges filed with the Board by the Sheriff and a hearing before the Board thereon upon not less than 10 days' notice at a place to be designated by the chairman thereof. At such hearing, the accused deputy sheriff shall be afforded full opportunity to be heard in his or her own defense and to produce proof in his or her defense. The Board shall have the power to secure by its subpoena both the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers in support of the charges and for the defense. The fees of witnesses for attendance and travel shall be the same as the fees of witnesses before the circuit courts of this State, and shall be paid in the same manner as other expenses of the Board. Each member of the Board shall have the power to administer oaths or affirmations. If the charges against an accused deputy sheriff are established by a preponderance of evidence, the Board shall make a finding of guilty and order either removal, demotion, suspension for a period of not more than 180 days, or such other disciplinary punishment as may be prescribed by the rules and regulations of the Board which, in the opinion of the members thereof, the offense merits. Thereupon the sheriff shall direct such removal or other punishment as ordered by the Board and if the accused deputy sheriff refuses to abide by any such disciplinary order, the sheriff shall remove him or her forthwith.
    In case of the neglect or refusal of any person to obey a subpoena issued by the Board, any circuit court or a judge thereof, upon application of any member of the Board, may order such person to appear before the Board and give testimony or produce evidence, and any failure to obey such order is punishable by the court as a contempt thereof.
    The provisions of the Administrative Review Law, and all amendments and modifications thereof, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, shall apply to and govern all proceedings for the judicial review of any order of the Board rendered pursuant to the provisions of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7013) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7013)
    Sec. 3-7013. Political activities. No deputy sheriff in the County Police Department and no employee in the County Department of Corrections shall participate in any manner in the activities or interests of any political party or of any candidate for public office or for the nomination therefor, nor participate in any manner in any political campaign for the nomination or election of candidates for public office. Violation of any provision hereof shall be cause for removal of any deputy sheriff or employee so offending. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to interfere with the right of any person to vote for any candidate and upon any issue as his reason and conscience may dictate.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7014) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7014)
    Sec. 3-7014. Appropriations. A sufficient sum of money shall be appropriated each year by the county board to carry out the provisions of this Division in the county.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7015) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7015)
    Sec. 3-7015. Investigations by Board. The Board shall investigate the enforcement of this Division and its rules, and the conduct and action of the appointees herein provided for. In the course of such investigation each member of the Board is empowered to administer oaths, and the Board has the power to secure by subpoena both the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books and papers relevant to such investigations.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7016) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7016)
    Sec. 3-7016. Certification of appointments, vacancies and findings. The Board shall certify to the county clerk or other auditing officers, all appointments to offices and places as may be classified, and all vacancies occurring therein, whether by dismissal, resignation, or death, and all findings made or approved by the Board under the provisions of Section 3-7012, that a person may be discharged from the classified service.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

    (55 ILCS 5/3-7017) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-7017)
    Sec. 3-7017. Payments of salaries or wages. No county clerk, comptroller or other auditing officer of the county shall approve the payment of, or be in any manner concerned in paying salary or wages to any person for services as an officer or employee of the county unless such person is occupying an office or place of employment according to the provisions of law and is entitled to payment.
(Source: P.A. 86-962.)