TURMOIL ON POLICE FORCE LEAVES BENSENVILLE SHAKEN

Since August, the cozy used bookstore Dale Brownewell and his wife run
in downtown Bensenville has been ripped off twice. One incident ended
with Brownewell, a 69-year-old retired school teacher, threatening the
thief with a chair to prevent him from fleeing the store.

Both times Brownewell called police. Both times the officers were
prompt, composed, conscientious, even compassionate.

"To me, the police were very professional and very polite in talking
to us and all that," said Brownewell, 69, proprietor of Ye Olde
Bookworm. "I remember when the one guy was being handcuffed and he
yelled, `Don't brutalize me. Don't brutalize me.' The officer just
said very matter-of-factly, `I'm putting on these cuffs for my own
safety.' He was even polite to the thief."

Most police departments--even larger, more jaded ones--would take
pride in such a report. Indeed, for the Bensenville Police Department,
it's a sorely needed bright spot in a tormented period for law
enforcement.

In the last 20 months, few other police departments in the state have
sustained more internal turmoil than the 40 sworn officers serving and
protecting Bensenville, a modest community of 18,000 a few thousand
feet southwest of the runways of O'Hare International Airport and the
home, ironically, of Illinois Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan.

The tempest began in January 1998 with the raid of a Bensenville bar
owned by the family of a police sergeant. It continued Friday with the
release of a special investigator's report alleging that some police
officers ran an illegal security service from the police station for
nearly 15 years.

The problems simmering in the department exploded Jan. 23, 1998, when
the FBI raided Club Latino, a bar run by the family of Bensenville
Police Sgt. Joseph DeAnda. One report from the continuing
investigation alleged that DeAnda may have deflected investigators'
attention and tampered with confiscated drug money. Sources said the
DuPage County state's attorney's office is investigating DeAnda, who
has been placed on paid leave.

Evidence uncovered in the raid and complaints from several local
police officers led village administrators to hire former assistant
U.S. Atty. Ted Poulos to investigate.

Within a few days of the raid, Police Chief Walter Hitchuk resigned,
citing his wife's health. The investigation later raised allegations
that Hitchuk was aware of drug dealing at the club and stifled any
inquiry.

The probe also alleged that Bensenville Police Officer William Wassman
destroyed cocaine in at least one drug case before the case was
concluded and falsely stated in at least 20 cases that other officers
had witnessed him destroying illegal narcotics.

A DuPage County grand jury indicted Wassman in February on charges of
obstruction of justice and official misconduct. Last week, Wassman
resigned.

And last month, Bensenville Patrol Officer Susan Hawkins filed suit
after the village police commission passed her over for promotion to
sergeant in favor of four men, even though Hawkins was ranked higher
than two of them on the sergeant eligibility list.

Acting Police Chief Carl Dobbs, who with other village administrators
recommended Hawkins' promotion, quit his post Sept. 3--one month
early--reportedly in disgust over the commission's action.

Then, on Friday, Poulos released more of his findings about the firm
known as Bensenville Security Service, which allegedly was run from
the police station from 1985 until 1998. In a report submitted to
village officials, Poulos alleged that the business generated nearly
$500,000 from 1996 through 1998, that none of it was reported to the
Internal Revenue Service and that the company never registered with or
received licensing from the state.

This summer, village administrators and Poulos ordered Sgt. Richard
Mosher, who allegedly ran the security service from his department
office, to turn over his tax returns or face dismissal. Mosher
resigned Aug. 4.

"Many people are as repulsed by what we have found as we are," said
Village President John Geils.

But Geils noted that the village has imposed changes recommended by
Poulos, including hiring a full-time evidence custodian, strengthening
restrictions on officers' outside employment, and shifting
responsibilities among officers to promote deserving ones.

Still, Geils acknowledged that more shakeups are inevitable. He
expects to close the investigation by year's end.

Brownewell and some customers in his store on a recent afternoon said
they believe Bensenville street officers are performing admirably
under the circumstances.

"It would seem to me that there is something seriously lacking in the
leadership of the Police Department that allowed this to happen,"
Brownewell said. ". . . I'd have to admit that all this has left a
very negative impression."