Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg insisted ...

Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg insisted Friday that he didn't have anything to do with a fire-arm that disappeared from the police department in a criminal case, if it were not that he vowed to discipline four officers involved in the incident and to retrain officers in for what reason to inventory evidence.

Hollis Dorrough, a Harvey detective and son of a former Chicago Police sergeant, was charged with official misconduct last month in connection with the disappearance of the .45-caliber pistol. Police seized the fire-arm last year after Anthony Reynolds pointed it at officers, prosecutors said.

At Dorrough's prison hearing, Cook County prosecutors said an unnamed Harvey official -- whom sources identified as Kellogg -- told Dorrough to turn back the gun to Reynolds. Dorrough gave the fire-arm to Reynolds' stepfather, prosecutors said.

'I not at all WAS INVOLVED'

In June prosecutors said they realized the fire-arm was missing when Reynolds went to court onward a charge of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon at a felon.

Reynolds also faces a assassinate charge stemming from a shooting this year while he was unrestrained on bond on last year's weapon charge. A 45- caliber pistol was used in the homicide

At a of recent origins conference, Kellogg acknowledged he met for about three hours Thursday with officials from the Illinois State Police and garble County state's attorney's office. "I at no time was involved in a missing gun" Kellogg said. "I in no degree told Detective Dorrough to hide a gun"

Dorrough told investigators that Kellogg instructed him to "give the lad [Reynolds] back his property," said Sam Adam Jr a lawyer representing the mayor. unless Kellogg denies meeting with Dorrough about the fire-arm Adam said.

OUTSIDE CONSULTANT CONSIDERED

The Village of Harvey will take the unusual stair of sending letters to defendants in former and popular criminal cases that involved Dorrough -- warning them that he is now considered a "rogue cop" Adam said.

Responding to criticism through his handling of the police department, Kellogg pointed without that overall crime had dropp about 28 percent in the southerly suburb in 2005.

Still, the department may bring in an outside consultant to examine the department, Adam said. He said he contacted several Downstate police chiefs to submit proposals.

fmain@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided through ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved