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Villa Park Police Programs
- At-Risk Citizen's Safety
- Neighborhood Watch Program
- Elderly Services Program
- Safe Haven
- Surveillance Cameras
- Explorers
To Serve & Protect
The At-Risk Citizens' Safety (ARCS) program is a voluntary public registration effort that assists police officers working with citizens, as they attempt to locate confused or missing loved ones / residents.
Eligible participants in Villa Park include (but are not limited to):
- People with Alzheimer's or dementia
- Young or older with an autism disorder
- Special needs and other mental / physical disabilities
- Children with a pattern of running away
- Elderly citizens
Enroll in the Program
By enrolling your loved one, you provide police with a more comprehensive resource to locate missing persons. To register, simply call the Villa Park Police Department at 630-834-7447 to schedule a time to meet with one of the professionally certified elderly service officers (listed below). Residents will need to complete a detailed program application at the Police Department and submit a current photograph. Get more information (PDF).
The success of this program is often dependent upon the information provided during registration. It is the Villa Park Police Department's goal that proactive measures like these will result in your missing loved one's safe recovery.
TO SERVE & PROTECT
Have you ever wondered what you can do to make your neighborhood the best that it can be? If you have, the Villa Park Police Department has the answer for you, the Neighborhood Watch Program. The program has grown in strength in Villa Park over the last few years. It is a simple program start.
A neighborhood organization, large or small, consists of a group of volunteer residents meeting periodically to discuss or act on a specific situation within their neighborhood. The formulation of a neighborhood organization can help create a sense of community within an area which will a positive effect both social and environmentally. Residents feel more secure knowing their neighbors, and sharing a common purpose.
BENEFITS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM
- In emergencies situations, it is better to have a functioning organization in place to address neighborhood problems
- Easier to implement crime prevention strategies
- Relationships can be established and / or improved between
- It creates unity between neighborhood residents, which creates more interest in fellow residents, and their well being
- Establishes a better working relationship between the police department and the residents
- Creates better lines of communication
- Neighbors
- Neighborhoods
- Police Department
- School District
- Village Government
START A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH IN YOUR AREA
Presently there are 21 active Neighborhood Watch Areas in Villa Park and it is continually growing. To start a neighborhood watch:
- Contact Sergeant Kubish or Sergeant Walsh of the Villa Park Police Department at (630) 592-6100.
- Contact your neighbors and discuss the program.
- If there is interest in your neighborhood, choose 3 possible dates to hold your first informational meeting.
- Contact Sergeant Kubish or Sergeant Walsh to schedule your first meeting.
- A member of the Police Department will meet with you and your neighbors to explain the details and benefits of the Neighborhood Watch program.
Working together we can make Villa Park a better place to live and raise our children, and put "neighbor" back into neighborhood.
Did you know that about 1 in every 8 Americans is over the age of 65? In Villa Park, almost 15% of our residents are older citizens. The Villa Park Police Department is one of the few police departments that offer a specially trained unit of four Elderly Service Officers (ESOs) that can assist you or your caregiver with the unique challenges associated with our senior citizens.
Having been selected among their peers, these ESOs possess special human skills that further assist them in serving the senior segment of our population. They also receive special training on how to best serve our senior population, their families and caregivers. Several of the specific areas of training that Elderly Service Officers receive are:
- Physical Abuse
- Confinement
- Financial Exploitation
- Sexual Abuse
- Passive Neglect
- Mental Illness
- Emotional Abuse
- Willful Deprivation
- Fear and Security questions
THE ELDERLY SERVICES UNIT
The Elderly Services Unit provides both a referral service and investigative assistance. It also provides a registration service that will provide our department with the expeditious ability to contact family members or caregivers.
As with any program, we our seeking our residents assistance in creating the best possible program. We need your assistance in creating a database of senior citizens. We are asking neighborhood watch groups, church groups, SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) groups, and community groups to spread the word in the area. We are looking for names and addresses of seniors to assist our efforts in offering these services to our ever-growing population of elderly residents.
SENIORS & LAW ENFORCEMENT TOGETHER
The Elderly Services Unit also sponsors quarterly SALT meetings with pertinent speakers sharing community information and resources. Whether you are one of Villa Park's senior citizens, a caregiver taking care of one or in need of some direction or an answer to a specialized problem, the Elderly Services Unit is ready to provide assistance. Need a speaker for a senior's program? Our Elderly Service Officers are ready to assist you. Please refer to our At-Risk Citizen's Safety (ARCS) program, which provides services and assistance in locating citizens who may become lost, confused, or disoriented.
For more information, contact Officer Sonia Bregman at 630-834-7447.
WHAT IS THE ABANDONED NEWBORN INFANT PROTECTION ACT?
In Illinois, the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act (325 ILCS 2/) allows parents of an infant to relinquish the infant to a safe environment and remain anonymous if they choose.
Under this act, a parent may hand his or her unharmed newborn (30 days old or younger) to a staff member at a hospital, emergency medical care facility, police station or fire station with no questions asked and no fear of prosecution.
The law provides a safe, legal alternative to abandoning a newborn in an unsafe environment.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
24/7 CONFIDENTIAL CRISIS LINE:
888-510-BABY(2229)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
SURVEILLANCE CAMERA PROGRAM
The Villa Park Police Department would like to develop a partnership with community residents and businesses in an effort to solve crime and apprehend criminals.
This program is known as a video sharing partnership and works on a voluntarily basis with property owners who have private video security systems in place that record public accessible areas. Areas include streets, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. Police respond to burglaries, assaults and other crimes and will be able to see locations with cameras so they can quickly contact the registered video partner that may have recorded footage that could aid in the investigation.
HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
Property owners who already own a video camera system would let us know of any security cameras they have accessing public areas. Property owners would only be contacted by the Villa Park Police Department if a criminal incident took place in the vicinity of the camera. Police personnel may ask camera owners to review or provide recorded footage related to a specific incident.
WHAT ABOUT PRIVACY AND SECURITY CONCERNS?
This partnership is not intended for active or live feed surveillance. Nor is it intended for checking on what citizens are doing in their neighborhoods. Any information provided will be housed in a secure data base. The Villa Park Police Department will never have remote or direct access to any private video systems. Therefore, it will take owner's permission and cooperation to view, download or copy any recorded incident. Police personnel will only ask to view footage relating to a specific criminal act for use as evidence to aid in ongoing investigations.
The form will help us investigate incidents where surveillance footage could help. In order to participate in this program, the camera(s) must be located within the Village of Villa Park. If you have more than one address/location please register each separately. Please click the complete form button above.
For questions, contact Detective Sergeant Jeff Runge at 630.834.7447.
About us
The Explorer Post is a branch of the Boy Scouts of America. It provides a worksite-based program for young men and women who are between the ages of 15 and 21, or 14 as long as they have graduated 8th grade. The Explorer Post helps youth to gain insight into a variety of programs that offer hands-on career experiences. For those who are interested in careers in the field of law enforcement, The Villa Park Police Explorer Program offers experiential learning with lots of fun-filled, hands-on activities that promote the growth and development of adolescent youth.
How do I join?
You are able to become a member by attending the next upcoming meeting! The post meets every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Villa Park Police Station. New members are welcome at every meeting!
Want more information?
View the Villa Park Explorer Post's Brochure here or visit: https://www.facebook.com/vppdexplorers/.
You can also contact Detective Eric Haimann by email at ehaimann@invillapark.com or by phone at (630) 592-6128 with questions.