As Northbrook prepares to usher in a new chapter for its law enforcement with a revitalized police station now in the works, the village’s public safety team is undergoing another major change: a new chief of police.
Having spent over two decades with the police department, Marc Fainman has held just about every operational role possible – patrol officer, tactical officer, detective, sergeant, patrol commander and two deputy chief positions.
Now, Fainman will lead the department, succeeding former Northbrook police Chief John Ustich, who retired in July after 30 years of service. Fainman was officially sworn in Aug. 25, during the village’s Board meeting.
A Glenbrook North High School and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) graduate, Fainman has spent the majority of his public service career serving his home community, a position he said he’s always had an affinity for.
“Like everyone else in the world, [I was] obsessed with the various police and law television shows, but also kind of tailored my education towards it,” Fainman told Pioneer Press.
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UIUC didn’t offer a criminology or criminal justice major at the time, so Fainman chose sociology, a decision that, as it turned out, led him down the path he wanted most.
“A requirement for one of the courses I was in was to do an internship locally…it jumped off the page at me that the Champaign Police Department was offering an internship program and I collected that one right away, I just couldn’t get enough,” Fainman said.
“Every area that I experienced, everything from investigations to patrol, it was abundantly clear to me that everywhere [police officers] went, they were solving problems for people…I was just naturally drawn to it so much so that they had to kick me out periodically because I would say, ‘hey, can I stay for an extra couple hours’.”
After making his way through a highly-competitive hiring process and earning a coveted spot on the officer eligibility list, Fainman got the call he had been waiting for nearly a year later – a position opening to join the Northbrook police team.
“There’s a lot of good police agencies around here,” Fainman said, “but I feel so privileged to be a part of the Northbrook Police Department.”
“My coworkers are just so talented and so intelligent. I’ve learned so much from them, but also it’s my hometown. I grew up here and that was really a privilege as well.”
Fainman’s career has been heavily defined by his commitment to improving the department, whether through new initiatives like the implementation of Northbrook’s body-worn camera program, the modernization of in-house officer training or facilitating organizational studies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of existing police procedures.
Among Fainman’s priorities during his first few months in the position are bringing several projects he spearheaded as deputy chief to completion. This includes expanding upon an internal program geared towards improving wellness resources for officers and their families and managing the build-out of the village’s new police station.
“With the modernization of police work and the different demands of policing, we continue to expand things like, for example, our counseling services unit, which is both outward-facing, for the residents and also inward-facing for the employees,” Fainman said.
“And as you expand things like that and really work [added resources] into our police response and our crime prevention and our mental health treatment options… you end up needing more physical space as well.”
Residents can expect the new station to be finished in three to five years, pending a timely construction phase with limited delays, according to officials. The village has increased its budget to finance the project, but a total estimated cost has not yet been finalized.
As the department’s next first-in-command, Fainman said he looks forward to continuing to do the work that he has always found to be the most rewarding: helping others and solving problems.
“It’s still such an interesting career to me, and so, from that perspective, I’m so thrilled to be able to continue doing it and to continue doing it from a position where I can listen to our employees, listen to our residents and really incorporate a lot of feedback into what modernizations are needed,” Fainman added.
“I come with a unique perspective of both knowing the community as well as I do, but also being in this business for a while…I hope to be able to utilize those strengths to take us into the future.”