Former Prairie Grove police chief announces bid for McHenry County sheriff

Former Prairie Grove Police Chief Tony Colatorti on Monday announced his candidacy for McHenry County sheriff, seeking to replace Sheriff Bill Prim who is not seeking another term.

Colatorti has 22 years of law enforcement experience. That includes 11 years with the Prairie Grove Police Department, 3 1/2 of which he served as chief of police, and nearly four years as the Holiday Hills police chief, according to the release. The remainder of those years was spent at the Tower Lakes Police Department, where Colatorti left in 2009 as a sergeant, he said.

He resigned as Prairie Grove police chief in September, citing that he and the village had separate visions for the department.

“I have experienced first-hand how important is it for the individual Police Departments to work in conjunction with one another, on behalf of all of the people of McHenry County,” Colatorti said in the release. “It takes active work by leaders to create, train and mentor those that follow them. It is this mindset that I will continue to embrace as your Sheriff.”

McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim announced in March that he would not seek reelection for a third term. His current term ends in 2022. The sheriff has endorsed Deputy Chief of Operations Robb Tadelmen as his successor.

Colatorti has lived in McHenry County for 17 years and has owned a private business in the area for 16, according to a news release issued Monday evening.

His restaurant, Cucina Bella, was one of 37 local businesses to file suit against the state in October, in an attempt to halt the governor’s mitigation plans and allow restaurants to continue serving customers indoors.

Colatorti’s vision as sheriff includes working to “develop partnerships to solidify the trust that our community has with all first responders,” he said.

“Over the following months, we have a lot of ground to cover. We have many issues to discuss,” Colatorti said in the release. “I am prepared to answer the tough questions and put my experience to the test on behalf of all McHenry County residents.”