The pension of a retired suburban deputy police chief has been called into question since he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl and is now in prison.
The police pension board in Lake in the Hills is trying to determine what, if anything, to do about the retirement benefits — totaling more than $84,000 a year — payable to Alan Bokowski, who spent 20-plus years with the department before retiring as deputy chief.
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Bokowski pleaded guilty in February to criminal sexual assault of a child between the age of 13 and 17 and was sentenced to 41/2 years in prison.
The police pension board in the far northwest suburb was supposed to convene Tuesday afternoon, with Bokowski’s pension listed on the agenda, but the meeting was canceled because only two of five members showed up.
Pension Board Vice President Stan Helgerson said little about the matter other than that it’s in the hands of the board’s attorney.
“It’s all new to us. This is his field. We’ll see what he comes back with,” Helgerson said.
According to board Treasurer Shane Johnson, Bokowski’s pension is slightly more than $7,000 per month — or more than $84,000 annually — after having received an automatic 3 percent cost-of-living increase on Feb. 1.
Possibly weighing in Bokowski’s favor is that his criminal action occurred years after he left the department, and village officials have said he was never accused of wrongdoing during his years there.
He met the victim through a longtime employee of the village with whom he’d become close friends, according to statements made during his sentencing.
Bokowski had been charged last year with possessing firearm ammunition, several shotguns and pistol and rifle rounds without a firearm owner’s identification card. He also was charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an accusation that he touched a woman inappropriately, according to a complaint filed in McHenry County courthouse. Those charges were dismissed as part of the negotiated plea in the sex assault case.
He will have to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.
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