Ill. Police Officer Arrested During ICE Crackdown Returns to Duty
What to know
• Hanover Park Police Officer Radule Bojovic returned to full duty after federal immigration authorities arrested him in October for allegedly overstaying a visa.
• Bojovic, who was released on bond Oct. 31, had valid work authorization cards on file and passed Illinois State Police and FBI background checks, according to village records.
• The department hired and certified him earlier this year, and he will receive back pay for the period he was placed on leave while his immigration case proceeds.
According to village records obtained by the Tribune through a Freedom of Information Act Request, Hanover Park apparently had two work authorization cards on file for Bojovic. It is unclear when the cards were issued or what their expiration dates are due to village redactions on records.
Alongside the department’s statement, a police spokesperson said neither Bojovic nor village officials were taking requests for further comment.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for a comment.
At the time of Bojovic’s arrest, village officials maintained the police department hired Bojovic in January “in full compliance with federal and state law.” State records show that Bojovic was hired Jan. 8 and certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board in August.
Before bringing Bojovic onto its police force, the village stated that it had confirmed he was legally authorized by the federal government to work in the U.S., noting that when he was hired, he provided the village with a work authorization card. Village officials have also stated that they haven’t received any notice that his card had ever been revoked.
According to an employment application Bojovic submitted to the village in June 2024, he attended high school in Chicago and previously worked at a church as a janitor and at Ross, village records show.
In response to an application question asking why he wanted to become a Hanover Park police officer, Bojovic wrote: “I’m motivated by a strong desire to serve and protect the community. I’m drawn to the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, ensuring safety and fostering trust.”
When the administration of President Donald Trump announced its local mass deportation mission in early September, it came with promises to “target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in the city.
But newly released data analyzed by the Tribune shows that of the roughly 1,900 immigrants that agents booked in the first half of Operation Midway Blitz, two-thirds had no known criminal convictions or pending charges.
Background checks into Bojovic by both Illinois State Police and the FBI yielded no criminal history, per Hanover Park police.
The department, in an Aug. 22 post to Facebook, congratulated Bojovic on graduating from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy. The academy, a program out of the College of DuPage in west suburban Glen Ellyn, aims to prepare “recruits for a successful career in law enforcement,” according to the college’s website. It offers a 16-week training program based on curriculum approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, per program details listed online.
According to Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board records provided to the Tribune, Bojovic completed 640 hours of basic training and 40 hours of mandatory firearms training between May 5 and Aug. 22.
After graduating from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, Hanover Park police in its August Facebook post stated Bojovic was set to begin an “intensive 15 weeks of field training and evaluation as he continues preparing to serve the Hanover Park community.”
Now back to full-duty, Bojovic will receive back pay from the village for the time he was on leave.
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