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 Police Department > Divisions & Units |
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Patrol Division
The
Patrol Division many times is described as the backbone of most police agencies. The majority
of our personnel are assigned to this Division. Officers from the Patrol Division respond to
approximately 32,000 calls for service each year. Personnel assigned to this Division are responsible
for providing initial service to the citizens of our City and also conduct many follow-up investigations.
All other Department personnel provide support to patrol operations.
Members
of the Patrol Division also serve as evidence technicians, breath alcohol operators, accident investigators,
as well as most other specialized positions. Both full-time and fully state-certified part-time officers
staff the Division. Officers make over 1,000 arrests each year including both felony and misdemeanor
offenses. Personnel are assigned to one of four shifts to cover each day of the year, 24 hours per
day.
Traffic Division
The
Traffic Safety Division was created to address recurring traffic problems within the City and to
conduct special projects and surveys dealing with traffic related issues. The Division is supervised
by a Commander and has three officers assigned to it
The
Division has initiated a traffic "Hot Line" number (708-344-9500) that can be used by citizens to report on-going
and recurring traffic problems within the City. Once a call is received on the hot line, a report
number is generated and a member of the traffic unit conducts a follow-up investigation. Once the
investigation is completed, a written report is issued to the complainant regarding the outcome of
the investigation.
Additionally,
the Division has spearheaded several recent campaigns regarding seat belt enforcement in conjunction with
the National Operation Buckle UP and Operation Safe Passage programs. These campaigns have resulted in
raising the level of seat belt compliance in our City from approximately 40% to over 70%. The Division
also has certified officers trained in the proper installation of child safety seats.
Investigations Division
The
Detective Division has a Commander and four detectives assigned to work the Division. Detectives
investigate over 700 criminal cases each year and have over a 50% clearance rate. Cases include both
misdemeanors and felony crimes.
Additionally,
officers assigned to the Investigations Division work on many of the Department's special units such as
performing evidence technician work, the emergency services team, and other highly trained and specialized
positions.
Detectives
are responsible for working with a number of outside law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of
Investigations, State Police, County Sheriff and other specialized investigative units. Additionally, the
Detective Division is responsible for maintaining all court documents on pending criminal cases within the
Judicial System.
Community Relations Division
The
Community Relations Division was created in response to the large volume of services needed to assist our
senior citizen population as well as the needs of our citizens in non-police related issues that affect the
quality of life within the City. Currently, a Commander supervises the Division, which includes four
full-time Community Service/Code Enforcement Officers. Officers from the Detective and Patrol Divisions
are assigned cases as needed to assist our Community Service Officers. This Division is responsible for
building and code violations within the City as well as animal control and other essential services to
our citizens.
The
Administrative Commander who supervises this Division is also
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The 2000 Nat'l Night Out
Rookie of the Year Award |
responsible for all programs in our
elementary schools, including the DARE program. Officers from other divisions of the Department are assigned
to these specialized service functions.
The
Police Department participates in numerous City-wide events throughout the year including Northlake Days,
a 3-day music festival, and the youth basketball league. Additionally, the Department participated in the National
Night Out program in 2000 for the first time. Night Out is a national crime prevention program with over
9,500 communities and neighborhood organizations participating. The Police Department won the
"Rookie of the Year" award for the best first-time program in the country. In 2002 and 2003, the Department's Night
Out program won an award for the best program in its population category.
The
Community Relations Division also has a Domestic Violence Unit that handles calls which often
involve physical violence and threats of violence, serious property damage and intimidation.
Victims of family violence are often emotionally and financially dependent on
their abusers, and are unable to appropriately protect themselves and their
children. They are frequently embarrassed, confused, emotionally distraught,
concerned for their children and afraid of their abusers. These are contributing
factors in repeated incidents where victims are afraid to take action.
The
Northlake Police Department responds to every call for assistance from a
domestic violence victim, providing the necessary law enforcement function to
assist the victim in obtaining the proper social services. The specially trained
Domestic Violence Unit was initiated to further investigate and provide support
to these victims. This support includes information and applications regarding
arrests, court appearances, orders of protection, shelters and counseling.
Emergency Response Team
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| The Northlake Police Department Emergency Response Team. |
The
Department boasts a highly trained and equipped Emergency Response Team. The members of the team
are trained to handle high-risk felony arrest situations as well as any type of armed confrontation
such as barricaded suspects and hostage situations. The team is under the immediate supervision
of a Commander and assisted by a Sergeant. Members of the team continually train to meet the rigorous
demands these types of situations require.
Records Division
The
Records Division plays a vital role within the Department by documenting all incidents that are reported
within the City, as well as recording and storing information on the performance of the employees of
the Department. Through the use of information housed in the Records Division, decisions can be made
regarding resource allocations as well as future budget and manpower needs.
The
Records Division can be considered the brain of the organization using information stored there from
past occurrences to plan for present and future needs, which can affect City budget guidelines. The
Records function can only be as effective and efficient as the system in place to store and retrieve
information recorded in it. If the information can not be readily accessed when needed, the Department
can not run smoothly and efficiently. The Records Division utilizes the most up-to-date technology available to
store and retrieve information, which can be accessed throughout the day. The technology needs of the Department
are continually assessed to ensure they meet the current and future needs of the Department.
The
Records Division is also charged with the responsibility of tracking all tickets and other related court
documents through the Judicial System. The Division processes over 200,000 documents yearly. A supervisor
and five clerks staff the Division.
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