VIDEO: Police Chief Herzog Retires After 13 Years

Grayslake Police Chief Larry Herzog said his decision to retire after 13 years on the job just made sense.

"It's time," said Herzog. "I just knew it was time to go. You don't want to overstay your welcome. You don't want to stay too long."

Herzog said he felt lucky to have worked in such a great community and with such great people.

"I feel like I've been so fortunate to have been appointed to this job and to have spent nearly 13 years here," he said.

His last day was July 1. Prior to working in Grayslake, Herzog spent 26 years with the Park Ridge Police Department.

"So 39 years in this field is long enough," he said, with a characteristic smile.

When asked what stood out the most from those nearly four decades of police work, Herzog didn't hesitate: "The people. The best part for me is when each officer that we hired got sworn in."

He added that it reminded him of "the commitment you make to become a police officer and to serve the community."

He went on to highlight other accomplishments of the Grayslake Police Department during his tenure: "I'm proud that we became nationally accredited. I'm proud that we assigned officers to the high schools. I'm proud that we joined task forces here and in the surrounding communities. I'm proud that we outsourced our communications and 911 service to Glenview saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for our taxpayers."

He gave full credit to his team of 33 full-time officers, two part-time officers and five civilian employees on the Grayslake police force.

"I am most proud of the letters that the officers receive from people they help," Herzog said, pulling thank you letters from a file on his desk.

"Our mission is simply to make people safe," he said.

Last year, the Grayslake Police Department added Hainesville into their coverage area. That transition has been smooth, Herzog said.

As to his future plans for retirement, Herzog plans to slow down a little.

"I look forward to be able to have that second cup of coffee in the morning," he said. "I want to spend more time with my kids and my grandchildren. And I want to tinker with old cars from the 50s."

Family means everything to the chief. His beloved wife, Jo, died four years ago in July. Their children, Dan, Wendy and Katie-Jo, and their grandchildren are the light of Herzog's life. He also is very fond of his community.

"Grayslake is a special place," Herzog said. "It is a wonderful, well-behaved community with great schools, great sports teams, the Lake County Fairgrounds, and a great cultural center at the College of Lake County. It is a terrific place and I have been humbled and honored to be part of it."