Husak Named Interim Police Chief

As Buffalo Grove continues its national search for a new police chief, plans are in place for continued leadership upon the April 2 retirement of Chief Steve Balinski.

Deputy Chief Steve Husak will serve as interim police chief until a permanent chief is named, the Village of Buffalo Grove announced Friday.

Husak, a 24-year veteran of the Buffalo Grove Police Department, was appointed to step in for Balinski by Village Manager Dane Bragg.

Husak has progressed through many supervisory, administrative and managerial assignments in all areas of the agency over the years. He was promoted from commander to deputy chief in 2011.

He leads the Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County, a countywide mutual aid crash investigation team.

“Deputy Chief Husak is a highly regarded professional both inside and outside of Buffalo Grove. He will easily step up to the challenge of interim police chief,” Bragg said.

Husak has participated in a wide range of technical and professional leadership training classes through the FBI, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University Center for Public Safety and the University of Louisville – Southern Police Institute.

He was recently designated as a Certified Eligible Police Chief through the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. He also has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.