Elmhurst Police Department Annual Report 2017
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Elmhurst Police Department Annual Report 2017 Michael R. Ruth Chief of Police STEVEN M. MORLEY CITY OF ELMHURST MAYOR PATTY SPENCER CITY CLERK POLICE DEPARTMENT ELAINE LIBOVICZ CITY TREASURER 125 E. First Street JAMES A. GRABOWSKI ELMHURST, ILLINOIS 60126 CITY MANAGER (630) 530-3050 www.elmhurst.org/police Michael R. Ruth Chief of Police “Providing the Best” March 26, 2018 Mr. James Grabowski, City Manager City of Elmhurst 209 N. York St. Elmhurst, IL 60126 Dear City Manager Grabowski: On behalf of the men and women of the Elmhurst Police Department, I am pleased to present our 2017 Annual Report, which is designed to be a resource for municipal officials, law enforcement professionals, students, journalists and the people who live and work in the City of Elmhurst. This Annual Report contains current and updated information about the many services that we provide to the residents and the City of Elmhurst. The report also contains a current employee organizational chart and a detailed description of each unit within the department, as well as information on specialized assignments and mutual aid participation. Also included is a statistical section summarizing important data and emerging trends that have been identified. The year of 2017 has been a year of staffing changes and professional growth following the retirement of several long-time staff members during the first half of 2017. Those retirements created multiple opportunities for advancement, learning and new staff selection in 2017. Following three straight years of decreases in 2013, 2014, and 2015, we experienced a second year of increased UCR crime in 2017, which showed a 4.3% increase over 2016 levels. The level of service that we provided, measured as calls for service, increased by 3%. It should be noted that the number of residential burglaries was reduced by 7.9% to 35, the lowest number in the past 4 years, and we continue to emphasize our community policing initiatives with increased police visibility and continued use of new technology. The men and women of the Elmhurst Police Department remain committed to service and excellence. I would like to extend my personal appreciation to our citizens, Mayor Steven Morley, the members of the City Council, City Manager Grabowski and the employees of the Elmhurst Police Department for their continued support of the professional services we provide to our community. Sincerely, Michael R. Ruth Chief of Police ii 2017 Elmhurst Police Department Annual Report Executive Summary Reported Part 1 crimes to the State of Illinois Uniform Crime Report (UCR) indicated an overall increase in 2017 over what was experienced in 2016 due to increases in specific categories. UCR crimes increased from 562 incidents in 2016 to 586 incidents in 2017, which falls between UCR crime totals seen in years 2012 to 2013. Total Burglary incidents, both commercial and residential in nature, decreased in 2017 to 56 incidents reported; the lowest burglary total in ten years. A significant decrease was also seen in incidents related to Deception, Forgery, and Fraud type crimes. Increases in Thefts of property from vehicles as well as Motor Vehicle Thefts were seen throughout 2017, the majority of which were related to vehicles being left unlocked. In 2017, we saw an increase of 3% over 2016 in police service workload indicators, which are made up of 9-1-1 calls (up slightly by 0.2%) and self-initiated officer activity (up by 4.6%). Department 9-1-1 calls for service in 2017 numbered 16,896 and self-initiated activity numbered 32,519 for a combined service workload of 49,415. For historical comparison, this is an 8% increase in 9-1-1 calls and a 22.56% increase in self-initiated activity for a combined 17.16% increase in total department activity since 2013. In 2017, we continued to take a proactive role in implementing new technologies to solve and deter criminal activity and provide superior police services to our residents. The department further expanded its Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program and now has nine public safety cameras installed at strategic locations around the city. An example of this program’s success was the quick identification and arrest of a man who committed a road-rage shooting this past October. The department also implemented a convenient, online overnight parking system on the City website that is now utilized by the majority of residents seeking parking permission. A video camera sharing program was also created in 2017 that allows residents to register their home security cameras to assist the police department in the investigation of criminal activity. The department seeks to build upon these advances and further expand its use of crime-fighting technology. Resident engagement and community partnership continued to be a priority for the police department in 2017 with our award-winning Neighborhood Roll Call program, which was attended by 700 residents at 37 different locations last summer. The Summer Mobile Patrol (SMP) continued last year as well with officers engaging residents while patrolling parks, trails, and neighborhoods on bicycles and in our electric side-by-side vehicle. We also conducted two Citizen’s Police Academy sessions in 2017 to further connect with residents. iii LOOKING FORWARD . Here are some of our department goals for 2018: Continue the Community-Based Policing model Improve communications via the department Facebook page and social media Expand the city network of automated license plate reader (ALPR) police safety cameras Continue Neighborhood Roll Calls and Mobile Patrol in the summer months Implement the new computer-aided dispatch and records management system as part of the DuPage Justice Information System program Implement a renewed “Lock It or Lose It” crime prevention campaign to combat theft Expand collaboration with the Elmhurst Park District, Elmhurst College, Elmhurst Hospital, and Elmhurst schools Improve technology and facilities to increase operational efficiency within the police department Continue to analyze and respond to crime trends and calls for service to create an action plan that ensures the highest levels of service for the City and its residents. The men and women of the Elmhurst Police Department are committed to the mission of protecting the residents of Elmhurst and “Providing the Best” while enforcing the law. We look forward to improving the quality of our department through continued training and regular evaluation of current procedures along with consideration of future programs. We look forward to working with the City Manager, the Mayor, members of the City Council and our citizens to address the specific needs of our community and maintain Elmhurst as a great place to live, work, shop and stay. iv Mission Statement The primary mission of the Elmhurst Police Department is to provide effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the community. The Police Department achieves this mission by a simple motto, “Providing the Best.” The mission and motto are the guiding principles in the delivery of service to the community. Our mission is to create a feeling of safety and security in all of our citizens by providing the best law enforcement possible. We believe the public must have confidence and trust in the ability of every Elmhurst police officer to reliably and efficiently perform his/her duties. We pledge to do our best to safeguard all people in the City of Elmhurst and ensure a high quality of life for all through the effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services. We believe that human resources are our community's single largest and most important investment, and we are committed to excellence in our profession. We recognize that good interpersonal communication skills are absolutely necessary to the effective performance of our duties. We will provide the best by being sensitive to the authority with which we are entrusted and by upholding our responsibility to protect the public with fairness, equality, honesty, integrity, and legality. We will provide the best by our commitment to justice, both for the police department and for the public we serve. VALUES INTEGRITY COURAGE EXCELLENCE DEDICATION COMPASSION RESPECT v Elmhurst Police Department serving the community . vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 2017 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE INTRODUCTION BY CHIEF RUTH ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii MISSION STATEMENT v 2017 ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SUMMARIES 9 Office of the Chief / Table of Organization 10 Police Operations 11 Administrative Services /Records 19 Internal Affairs 20 2017 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT SUMMARY 21 2017 PROGRAMS SUMMARY 31 vii STATISTICAL SUMMARY 48 Criminal Incidents/Service Workload 49 Citations/Traffic Collisions 50 Assist Other Agencies/Alarm Calls 51 4-Year Comparison 52 Chronic Nuisance Data 57 2017 BUDGET ANALYSIS 58 DEPARTMENT RECOGNITION 60 Awards 61 Service Anniversaries 63 New Employees 64 Department Mail 65 PHOTO GALLERY 72 viii 2017 ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SUMMARIES 9 “Providing the Best” Office of the Chief The Office of the Chief consists of the Chief of Police, the senior management team, and support staff. The Department is led by Chief Michael R. Ruth, who has served as the Elmhurst Police Chief since 2012. Chief Ruth brings 40 years of progressive law enforcement experience to our agency. Deputy Chief Robert Tannehill, who has served Elmhurst since 1994, leads Police Operations, and Deputy Chief Michael McLean, who has served since 2000, is in charge of Investigations and Administration. Administrative support services are provided by Jami Carrington, Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police, and Jennifer McKeown, Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Chiefs. Sergeant Brett Kaczorowski served as the Administrative Sergeant in 2017. 10 “Providing the Best” Police Operations Patrol Division The uniformed Patrol Division is the largest component of the Elmhurst Police Department and is responsible for protecting life and property, enforcing the Illinois Criminal Code, traffic laws and city ordinances, conducting preliminary investigations, and helping to maintain order and safety for all.