The president of Lake County's Police Association complains he has been relegated to overseeing the washing of police cars for his $60,000 annual salary.

Sgt. Dan Murchek, president of the Lake County Police Association Local 72, said his 13 years of experience as a police officer in the county are being wasted on do-nothing assignments.

"I never recall weed whacking 101 or car washing and waxing 101 at the police academy," he said. "It's flat-out harassment what they're doing."

Murchek said Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez and Police Chief Marco Kuyachich are retaliating against him for his support of former county Sheriff John Buncich and his work for the police union.

"It's not a retaliation," Kuyachich responded. "It's only a temporary work detail. He's supervising the same inmates that he was supervising before. ... The only one trying to turn it political is him. I just want him to do his job."

The chief said one of the department's primary jobs is guarding the inmates.

"Would you like eight or 10 inmates running around unsupervised without some kind of law enforcement presence?" Kuyachich asked. "Who knows what other kind of havoc they could cause."

But Murchek said Lake County taxpayers are paying him to sit around and do nothing, he said.

"It's the furthest thing from good government," Murchek added. "Taxpayers pay police officers to be on the street."

Murchek has been president of the county police officers union since 2004.

Murchek was a canine police officer until 2006 when his dog died. Instead of being given another dog, as is custom, Murchek said he was told he would be reassigned.

Since 2006, he has worked in the sheriff's Work Release program watching inmates work, guarded the landfill in Lowell and was trained with inmates on lawn maintenance equipment.

Murchek said his newest assignment in the Lake County police garage is just another waste of taxpayers' money.