On Oct. 7, the Hamas terrorist group attacked Israel killing hundreds and taking many others hostage. By the end of that day, local organizers scheduled a large rally supporting Israel at Glencoe’s North Shore Congregation Israel, headlined by Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The rally required large law enforcement presence and might have been a challenge for the head of any agency no matter how long they had been on the job. In the case of Glencoe Public Safety Director Sean Loughran, he had been in his new role for less than a week.
Despite the short notice, Loughran said all the different law enforcement agencies worked well together and problems did not arise at the rally.
“It was a little busy at first, but nothing we can’t handle,” Loughran said.
It was an interesting start in Glencoe for Loughran, who was sworn in as the village’s new public safety director on Oct. 19, coincidentally his 21st wedding anniversary. He was hired earlier this year replacing Cary Lewandowski who retired in September.
“I’ve been grateful for his presence since he got here,” Village Manager Phil Kiraly said, pointing to the NSCI event. “He jumped into action immediately and made sure the event could happen — first of all — and the event could happen safely. He was integral to that entire process.”
Born on Chicago’s Southwest Side, Loughran, the son of a Chicago Police Department detective, dabbled in journalism and filmmaking after college, but eventually decided to follow his father’s career path and joined the Chicago Police.
Over the course of a 27-year run at CPD, Loughran was promoted to several high profile positions including his last job as Deputy Chief, Office of the First Deputy Superintendent. In that role, he was the overall commandeer of large scale critical incidents, reminiscent to his responsibilities at the NSCI rally.
Loughran said at one time he never thought he would leave Chicago, but eventually his feelings started changed when he was forwarded a job posting for the director of the Glencoe Public Safety Department.
“There comes a time in your career where change is good and you have an opportunity to move on,” Loughran said.
He said he was also interested in leading Glencoe’s Public Safety Department as the officers are cross-trained as both police and firefighters. He remembered considering firefighting when he was younger, before eventually going into law enforcement.
“In Glencoe I have the opportunity to do both,” he said. “I could not be more excited.”
He acknowledges Glencoe is not an area he’s familiar with except for family visits to the Chicago Botanic Garden and Glencoe Beach.
“A lot of that means it is like drinking from a fire hose,” he said. “You have to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. That is not just the job role I am undertaking, but also the community.”
Lincolnwood Police Chief Jay Parrott made a similar jump taking over that department after working in Evanston for many years.
Parrott talked about what Loughran might encounter as he gets acclimated to his new role.
“It is getting to know the culture of the community and the department and valuing that culture and respecting it with any types of positive changes that you may bring forth with your leadership,” Parrott said. “You may run into that in any organization big or small but what you want to try to do with your leadership is meet those personnel that may be resistant and open the lines the communications and get them to embrace the changes you want to bring forward.”
Loughran spoke on what may be in front of him, mentioning that he has a strong network of contacts throughout law enforcement that he believes will be of great assistance in Glencoe.
As for his leadership style, he said he tries to collaborate with his officers, an approach he took when he led various departments in Chicago.
“It’s always been my mission that they don’t work for me, I work for them,” Loughran said. “That is probably the most important skill set that I bring here. To make sure I can adapt to the culture and community here in the department and find what they need to support them to do their job more efficiently and do it right.”
He notes the atmosphere will be a “radical change” compared to Chicago and he will not miss the constant investigations into violent crime.
“We are in a good place on the North Shore,” he said. “In any community, there is always concern when it comes to property crimes (such as) thefts and burglaries but a lot of that stuff can be allayed by education.”
To that end, he said he will continue an educational campaign reminding individuals not to leave cars unlocked with key fobs inside and everyone should lock their homes.
“Those are very basic things that can make yourself less attractive to thieves,” he said.
He takes over a department staffed for 36 officers now with four vacancies. He said the current lateral hiring program would continue, where Glencoe would look to hire experienced officers from other communities as well as recruiting officers new to public safety.
“We are always looking for talent,” he said.
As for fears of some individuals of being treated unfairly by officers, Loughran said he has a directive for his officers and the community as well.
“Treat everyone as if you are talking to your own family member,” he said. “Treat everyone with respect and whenever I would go to community meetings, I would say treat the police officer in the way you wanted to be treated.”
Loughran said despite the problems surrounding police departments including Chicago, he said law enforcement remains a “noble profession.”
“Society needs people who will undertake that challenge and accept that calling. At some point the need will present itself and someone has to rise to the occasion,” he said.
Loughran will remain a Chicago resident as his wife remains a sergeant with the Chicago Police Department and she has to adhere to the department’s residency requirements.
A father of two, Loughran said he loves collecting antiquities from World War II to the point of even owning a restored jeep that he likes to drive around with friends.
Loughran, 50, has been in law enforcement for the majority of his life, but hopes for a long run in Glencoe.
“I will be here until they push me out,” he said. “I have found a wonderful home.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.