Investigative report reveals Dolton residents are shelling out big bucks for mayor's security detail

DOLTON, Ill. - She is the part-time mayor of a south suburban village of a little more than 20,000 people. Yet residents of Dolton are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to provide security for their self-proclaimed "supermayor."

Tiffany Henyard makes nearly a quarter million dollars a year serving as both mayor of Dolton and Thornton township supervisor, an elected political double dip.

She's charismatic and controversial and it's hard to turn anywhere in Dolton without seeing Henyhard's picture, or online where she recently commemorated September 11 with her own photo.

But when FOX 32's Dane Placko asked Henyard a few months ago about her use of tax dollars, she was quickly hustled out of the room by armed security.

And in Facebook videos posted by Henyard herself, you can see her being driven around and surrounded by Dolton officers — which got us wondering. Why all the cops?

"We weren't opposed to her having the security detail. We asked how long and how often?" said Dolton Trustee Brittney Norwood.

Norwood said Henyard began assembling her security detail shortly after being elected in 2021, using handpicked Dolton police officers.

After filing a Freedom of Information Request, FOX 32 obtained the work records for six of the officers assigned to Henyard's security detail at various times. The records show the officers are paid every two weeks, which, without overtime, is 80 hours.

But when they're put on Henyard's detail, that 80 hours balloons to well over 100 hours, in many cases. Other officers are putting in for 200 hours of work per pay period. And last May, Officer Terry Young was paid for 303 hours worked over a two-week period.

That resulted in a single paycheck of more than $13,000.

"How? How does a person put in a two-week pay period 303 hours?" asked Dolton Trustee Tammy Brown. "That's impossible. That's impossible. Does he ever go to sleep?" 

There are a total of 336 hours total in two weeks, meaning Young was not being paid for only 33 hours over that period.

Other officers on the security detail also racked up overtime paychecks in the multiple thousands of dollars.

In late August, FOX 32 tried to question Henyard about her police detail as she went door to door in Dolton giving out water on a 100-degree day. She was surrounded by police, firefighters, public works employees and two videographers documenting her trip for Dolton's Facebook page.

Henyard ignored our questions.

Earlier that day, we watched as a Dolton cop drove Henyard from her other job at Thornton Township to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Trustees say the security detail picks the mayor up at her home in the morning and is with her until she's dropped off at night, and often takes her on errands and shopping.

Does Henyard need a security detail? 

"Absolutely not!" responded Trustee Brown. "Why? Why would you need a security detail?"

Trustee Norwood believes Henyard uses the detail to burnish her ego. 

"Oh, she loves it. She just loves it. She loves the detail. I think it makes her feel as if she's like a superstar," said Norwood.

Dolton trustees have filed a lawsuit against Henyard, alleging she has not justified the need for security and is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on it without the board's approval. 

"I see no justification whatsoever. And more than that it's really a detriment to the citizens of Dolton," said trustee Jason House. "If we were to take the same money and put it on officers patrolling the streets, then the residents will see a much better presence and public safety will be better."

"We've had a few shootings," said Trustee Norwood. "So we need the extra police patrolling the streets instead of patrolling her."

FOX 32 also obtained Dolton credit card statements showing Henyard taking the detail with her even when she travels out of town. Records show spending thousands of dollars on plane tickets, lodging and meals for the officers.

As for the village's finances, trustees say Dolton is now getting sued by some vendors for failure to pay its bills. 

"In the last two fiscal years, we're five million dollars in the hole. And a big part of it is the security detail," said Trustee House.

FOX 32 emailed a list of detailed questions about the security detail to Henyard's spokesperson. So far, there has been no response.