Court Opinion

ID: 9715081
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:53:50.374676+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:31.365242
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE STENGEL, dissenting: I agree with the majority that the trial court erred in ruling that seniority under the applicable statute refers to length of time on the police force rather than length of time in rank. However, since I do not agree that the reorganization of the Bartonville Police Department was invalid, I must dissent. In question is section 10 — 2.1—18 of the Illinois Municipal Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1977, ch. 24, par. 10 — 2.1—18) which provides as follows: “When the force of the fire department or of the police department is reduced, and positions displaced or abolished, seniority shall prevail and the officers and members so reduced in rank, or removed from the service of the fire department or of the police department shall be considered furloughed without pay. If any positions which have been vacated because of reduction in forces or displacement and abolition of positions, are reinstated, such members and officers of the fire department or of the police department as are furloughed from the said positions shall be notified by the board by registered mail of such reinstatement of positions and shall have prior right to such positions if otherwise qualified, and in all cases seniority shall prevail.” (Emphasis added.) In my view the plain meaning of this language is that seniority must prevail when a position is abolished either by a reduction in the force or by a reorganization. To conclude, as does the majority, that no position in a police or fire department can be abolished without reducing the total complement of the department is to read into the statute strictures on organization that go far beyond the original legislative purpose of guaranteeing seniority rights. If a city council decides that a police department has more officers at one rank than are needed for efficient organization, it should be able to eliminate one or more positions at that rank without reducing the total police force. Consequently I believe that here the reduction in the number of sergeants from three to two was valid, and since plaintiff had least seniority at that rank, his demotion to the rank of patrolman was lawful. I would reverse the trial court’s order reinstating plaintiff to the rank of sergeant.