Hillard Heintze security firm branching out to consult police departments, cities

Published 5 April 2010

A Chicago-based security consulting firm, founded by a former Chicago Police superintendent and a retired chief of the Secret Service in Chicago, was named by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s fastest-growing companies; last week the firm announced it would add law enforcement consulting to the services it offered clients

A former Chicago Police superintendent and a retired chief of the Secret Service in Chicago have been quietly growing a law enforcement consulting firm that was recognized last year by Inc. magazine as one of America’s fastest-growing companies.

The Chicago Sun-Times’s Frank Main writes that Terry Hillard retired from the Chicago Police Department in 2003, and Arnette Heintze retired from the Secret Service the same year. Their Chicago-based firm now employs eighty-five people in offices across the country.

 

The Hillard Heintze firm was in the headlines a few years ago for its representation of the company that manufacturers Tasers, but it also focuses on conducting investigations into allegations of corporate misconduct and in advising clients such as McCormick Place on boosting security.

Last Wednesday Hillard and Heintze announced they are creating a law-enforcement dream team of sorts to consult police departments and municipalities on how to improve. Among the departments they hope to count as clients are some that are under federal consent decrees for alleged civil rights violations.

“Progressive communities can fix things early on,” Heintze said. “The question is whether the department is trying to identify rogue operations or dysfunctional management.” Hillard added, “If they see a problem, they have to be very aggressive. They need to address the kinds of issues that can bring a chief down.”