New McHenry County Sheriff's Administration

With the first day of his administration one week away, McHenry County Sheriff-Elect Bill Prim Monday introduced three highly-experienced managers from widely divergent backgrounds in law enforcement who will form the core of his management team.

“I consider myself extremely fortunate to have recruited some of the finest law enforcement professionals in northern Illinois to help carry out my mission to reform the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office,” Prim said.  “They all have compiled tremendous records of service in their different sectors.  Together, they should make a superb, high-performance team.”

At the same time, he indicated that he will not name an Undersheriff, but will divide the responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office into two major divisions, each of which will then report directly to him.  “Given the nature of the tasks and the managers’ backgrounds, I believe this approach makes much more sense,” Prim said.

To lead Police operations, Prim turned to former colleague and narcotics task force leader Ricardo Pagán, a veteran of 23 years with the FBI and more than 30 in law enforcement generally, including his entry-level work as a patrol officer and major crimes detective in his native Ohio.

Pagán’s most recent assignment has been as Asst. Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) for the Criminal/Violent Crime Branch of the Chicago FBI, which encompasses 18 different Illinois counties and is comprised of more than 100 special agents, task force officers and their support personnel

Mr. Pagán has also during his FBI career headed up the Intelligence Branch (Chicago), whose 240 members dealt with national security threats as well as organized criminal activity; led a squad of officers from disparate federal and local officers as part of HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force; supervised a group of agents who supplied and installed highly sophisticated electronic devices; supervised the training and monitoring of undercover agents; and worked undercover himself.

New Managers

Prim said he became acquainted with Pagán when they worked together to dismantle large-scale narcotics operations.  “Ricardo has deep experience with all the specialized tools of modern law enforcement,” Prim said, “including SWAT teams and hostage negotiation.  But he began his career, as I did, as a uniformed officer, so he also has a street-level view of modern policing.  I am very excited he will be part of our team.”

Prim’s second pick will be responsible for the jail and general officewide administration.  David Devane has a total of 28 years experience in law enforcement, including 24 years with the Cook County Sheriff and four years with that county’s State’s Attorney’s Office.

Devane most recently headed up the policy development function within the Sheriff’s Office, but previously managed Labor Relations and was Executive Director twice (15 years total) of a Department of about 450 employees, over 80% of whom were sworn officers, and for four years was second in command of the Court Services Department, whose then roster of 1,700 deputies were responsible for security of 10 separate courthouses, as well as handling civil process and evictions.

Devane spent most of his Sheriff’s career starting or developing community correctional alternatives, like electronic monitoring, day reporting centers and a community service alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders.  He also developed a residential drug treatment program for 450 inmates.  Along the way, he initiated programs like an inmate-staffed garden and greenhouse producing crops both donated to the needy and sold to restaurants like the former Charlie Trotter’s as well as three “sting” operations resulting in the arrests of hundreds of persons with outstanding warrants. 

Prior to the Sheriff’s Office, Devane worked in media relations for the U.S. Secretary of Energy in Washington, D.C., and the Illinois Department of Mental Health.