West Cook News

A neighborhood group is accusing Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek of criminal misconduct and wants him prosecuted.

The Village of Hillside Residents group filed a complaint Wednesday with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, asking for accountability involving Lukaszek’s alleged racist comments on a radio show.

“He said the Black Lives Matter movement 'doesn’t care about Black people' and the chief didn’t challenge the radio show host’s hateful comments about people of the Islamic faith,” the complaint states. “The chief’s statements do not represent the good people of Hillside. We are tolerant, caring people. We oppose all forms of racism against African Americans, Muslim Americans and others.” 

Hillside police detective Carlo Viscioni also was named in the allegations.

“When the police chief came to my home four years ago on Jan. 25, 2017, and told me on my front porch that unless I gave the police department the license plates of speeders when I complained that I would receive village of Hillside tickets and citations going forward, I knew right then and there that he had committed criminal misconduct, intimidation and harassment,” Hillside resident Roger Romanelli said at a news conference on Zoom. Romanelli is running for a trustee position in Hillside.

The neighborhood group called on Hillside resident and Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch to take a stand.

“Chris Welch is an attorney and we’d like him to do the exact same thing as the Cook County state's attorney, which is to read our complaint and issue a formal email that he agrees the chief has committed misconduct and must be dismissed by the mayor," Romanelli said.

Another Hillside resident, Gwen Amber, said she is still being watched by police even though she moved into the neighborhood 27 years ago.

“I and another neighbor were the first African Americans on the block,” Amber told the West Cook News. “Cars were parked in front of my house as if I'm a burglar instead of a resident.”

Since Amber began running for mayor against incumbent Joseph Tamburino, she says police surveillance has increased. 

“It's not just my assessment," Amber said. "It’s other residents’ assessments also. If you are active with the NAACP or a civil rights organization, more likely than not in my opinion, you will probably be watched, monitored or under surveillance by the police department.”

The Hillside neighborhood group also blasted the police chief for allegedly failing to thoroughly investigate the 2019 discovery of 1.8 grams of heroin on the Proviso West High School campus.

“Between March 27 and April 1, the chief did not call any school official and go to the school to speak with anyone about this issue,” the complaint states. “The chief did not initiate a joint, confidential investigation with school officials.”