Oak Forest police Chief Scott Durano will retire at the end of May, after just over a year in the top job and more than three decades on the force.
“There’s a couple personal reasons why,” Durano said. “In the end, no one has time. Now’s the time to dedicate to my family.”
Durano began as a patrol officer in 1995. He was promoted to deputy chief in 2020, and named chief early last year.
“The K-9 program was a great moment in my career, had a lot of fun with that,” Durano said. “We were involved in some pretty intricate cases with the dog.”
Over the course of his 31-year career, he said, he’s seen the Oak Forest Police Department undergo substantial changes, especially regarding technology.
“When I came on, we didn’t have computers, back then,” Durano said. “You start off with computers, and then it moves into the computerized report writing system, and then it moves into the recordings and the cameras everywhere, and the digital radios.”
One new technological adoption is an automated translation system for 911 calls to help dispatchers receiving calls in other languages, he said.
“It’s time to let the younger generation take it over,” Durano said. “I’m the dinosaur of the department.”
The main challenge the department faced during his tenure, he said, has to do with requirements handed down by the legislature.
“The consistent challenge is keeping up with unfunded mandates from the state,” Durano said. “Making sure everybody is aware of the changes that are coming down from Springfield, adapting to it, incorporating policy, and overall reducing the liability that’s placed on the department.”
Durano doesn’t know yet who will take over his position.
“I was hoping I’d know,” Durano said, laughing. “It would make the transition a little smoother.”
However, Durano said he feels good about the position he’s leaving the department in. The department places a lot of emphasis on training and internal leadership development, he said.
“We try and give our officers that ability to move ahead in the department,” Durano said. “So when it does come time for my retirement, somebody internally has the ability to go ahead and take over my position.”
Durano said he’s not looking for any other opportunities at the moment. Instead, he said, he has a lot of catching up on household chores to do.
“For 31 years, I was primarily a midnight guy,” Durano said. “You neglect the family for 31 years, especially when you move up, you’re taking phone calls at 8, 9, 10, 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock in the morning, coming in for critical incidents. It disturbs them and it takes time away from them.”
Durano’s last day will be May 29.
“Scott has been a tremendous asset to the police department,” Oak Forest Mayor Pro Tempore Jim Emmett said in a news release announcing Durano’s retirement. “He has served our community with honor, courage, and integrity, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.”
elewis@chicagotribune.com
