Election 2024 Questionnaire: Rob Russell, Kane County Board District 22

Name: Rob Russell

Party: Republican

What in your professional experience best qualifies you for Kane County Coroner? What certifications specific to the job do you have?

The Office of Coroner by Illinois Statute is a Law Enforcement post. I am the only candidate that has investigative experience with over 30 years as a Law Enforcement professional. I have numerous certifications including investigating Elder Abuse, Juvenile Abuse, Medicolegal Death Investigation as well as a certified Lead Homicide Investigator by the State of Illinois. We are sworn law enforcement personnel.

Why are you the better candidate?

Being coroner for the last 12 years, I have a positive track record of accomplishments. These certifications listed above (and many others) coupled with my thousands of completed and ongoing death investigations qualify me as the best candidate for the job. I also have successfully navigated the county through a death investigation involving a mass shooting, accurate record keeping in the deaths of over 1000 citizens from the pandemic, and have successfully equipped the county coroner’s office with the resources needed to accurately, professionally, and compassionately perform death investigative functions. I have also engaged various community groups and agencies in death prevention. Some examples of that are handing out almost 2000 boxes of Narcan at public events and partnering with Dr. Robert Renteria in an effort to bring anti-bulling, anti-gang and anti-violence message to the youth in Kane County.

What do you think are the three biggest challenges Kane County will face during the next term and what solutions do you propose?

One of the largest concerns for me and my office are the continued Opioid Epidemic. We lost more people last year nationally than we lost in the entire Vietnam War. This is why I am so determined to get as much Narcan out as possible and continuing to partner with harm reduction programs and substance abuse groups.

Here in Kane Co, we are averaging 15 Homicides a year for the last 4 years. That is equivalent to DuPage County’s averages and we have half the population of DuPage. My immediate solution has been to partner with Dr. Robert Renteria (fromthebarrio.com) and spread the anti-bullying, anti-gang, and anti-violence message. His book and teachings have spread not only Nationally, but also World Wide. The World Boxing Council (WBC) has endorsed this program in all the states and in 176 countries around the world.

Lastly, Kane County is having an issue with finances. The Financial Crisis is a multifaceted issue. The reason we are in this situation is a combination of not adjusting tax revenues, safety act mandates, and lack of innovative solutions. My office has tried to be part of the solution by staying within budgets, looking for federal and state grants to subsidize, and the generation of a forensic regional laboratory that could possibly be a source of revenue for the county.

Do you believe you can serve your constituents in a bipartisan manner? Why or why not?

Absolutely I can because I do it every day now. I send out a survey to the families of the decedents with a final cause and manner of death. With the surveys we get back, 98% are great or excellent as a response to the service provided. We serve all people with dignity and respect, no matter their background.

Unlike other offices in the county, the Coroner handles not only the bureaucratic work but often has to work with families in a difficult time. How would you navigate the needs of conducting the business of the office while also being sensitive to the needs of next of kin?

This is an area that I feel we are exceptional in. All of my employees are told that we cannot transfer our frustrations to anyone who comes in contact with the coroner’s office, especially family members of the deceased. I always tell them, that no matter how bad your day is going, it is only fractionally as bad as those we serve. We also partner and collaborate with grief counseling agencies, advocacy groups and places of worship to help us help the hurting. A listing of these resources go out with the survey and the final letter of investigative findings.

I have also entombed over 300 once forgotten cremated remains (cremains) since 2013. These cremains were once housed on dusty shelves in the office. Most of the cremains had been there for decades. In that time frame, we had both Democratic and Republican Coroners serve as coroner. Me and my staff were the only administration to properly respect those former lives with kindness. Having that sort of mindset transcends any political affiliation.