Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cedar Lake officer resignation spotlights staffing and pay challenges as department recruits new hires
Summary
Officer Shawn Meyer submitted a resignation effective June 15, 2026, citing better pay and benefits elsewhere; the department reported 34 applicants, 24 tested, 14 passed and interviews scheduled, while public commenters and officials urged creative retention ideas amid budget constraints.
The Cedar Lake board on Thursday accepted the resignation of Officer Shawn Meyer, who signed and submitted a letter saying he will leave for a position offering better pay and benefits. The resignation is effective June 15, 2026.
Meyer’s letter, read into the record, thanked Chief Perska, Deputy Chief Burningham and Commander Kidd and said the decision to leave "has nothing to do with the department or the officers" but was driven by better pay and benefits at another department that align with his family’s goals. The board moved to accept the resignation and recorded a roll-call vote with Miss Little, Mr. Velovos, Mr. Caper and Mr. Stick voting yes.
Police leadership told the board the department received 34 applications for new hires; 24 candidates were scheduled for the written and physical examinations, 18 attended and 14 passed. Interviews were scheduled the following two days, with hiring decisions to follow and subsequent promotional processes to fill sergeant roles. Department staff noted that the successful candidates were mostly new hires (few laterals), and one candidate may have prior academy experience.
Public commenters and board members framed the resignation in the wider context of regional competition for officers. Jerry Conor of Paramount Way said higher pay and benefits in neighboring departments are drawing experienced officers away, calling it "trading down" because new hires take time to reach the experience level of departing staff. Chief John Lojek, introduced himself in public comment as a former chief and proposed registration or sticker schemes for ebikes (which board members said would not be legal); he also urged the board to seek creative retention approaches and offered to share ideas.
Board members and staff cautioned that the council — not this board — sets salaries and budgets. Officials reiterated that the town is operating under budget constraints and that property-tax changes at the state level will reduce available revenue by an estimated $800,000 in the coming year, limiting immediate salary increases without council action.
The board said it will continue hiring from the pool of candidates and complete interviews; staff indicated they will update the board on hiring and promotional timelines in future meetings. No additional personnel actions were taken at Thursday’s meeting.
