Help Us, Help You Prevent A Ruse Burglary! This type of crime can be prevented by following thesesafety tips: Never allow any inspectors or workers access to your home until youhave confirmed their identity and reason for being at your home. Village of Palos Park Public Works and Water Department Personnelwill not come to a house unannounced. Do not allow them access toyour home and immediately contact the Palos Park Police by dialing 9-1-1. Public utilities will not show up to your home unannounced toconduct an inspection that you did not request. If someone appearsat your door purporting to…

Palos Park Police are gearing up for the traffic and increased recreational activity that traditionally accompanies the Fourth of July with extra patrols.  Police Commissioner Dan Polk said officers will be on foot, on bike, and in patrol units.  Patrol officers will be extra vigilant looking for underage alcohol possession, individuals driving under the influence, use of illegal fireworks and other criminal activity.  Be aware of your surroundings and know where you will go if you need to seek shelter from an unexpected thunderstorm. On hot days, make sure you drink plenty of water to stay …

From Palos Park Police During warm weather months, we often see an increase in burglary and theft. Reasons for this include: Windows at residences left open for ventilation when residents are not home. Unattended open garages while residents are working in the yard or have briefly left the home. Unattended personal belongings while at a park or other recreational venue. Unattended personal belongings visible in our vehicles. We want to remind you about the potential for an increase in burglary and theft and provide you with concrete steps you can take to reduce your vulnerability. Please …

From Palos Park Police Overview Elderly residents of Palos Park and surrounding communities periodically become victim to an unlawful (ruse) entry to their home. In most cases, no force is used to enter the home or against any resident. The offenders specifically target vulnerable elderly residents using their age against them.  Unfortunately, many of these residents feel embarrassed at falling victim to these scams and fail to report it to the police. About the Offenders The offenders are usually males of various ages and operate in groups of two to four. They are often described as Hispanic…

During warm weather months, we often see an increase in burglary and theft. Reasons for this include: Windows at residences left open for ventilation when residents are not home. Unattended open garages while residents are working in the yard or have briefly left the home. Unattended personal belongings while at a park or other recreational venue. Unattended personal belongings visible in our vehicles. We want to remind you about the potential for an increase in burglary and theft and provide you with concrete steps you can take to reduce your vulnerability. Please share these tips with your …

Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney and Police Commissioner Dan Polk have announced that one component of the Village’s Litter Awareness program will include ticketing litterbugs. Mayor Mahoney said, “Litter is a pervasive problem thatadversely affects the health, wealth and welfare of Palos Park residents. As we move into spring, we are asking everyone to join us in our renewed effort to make anti-littering the mantra of Palos Park. Litter poses health risks, harms water quality and wildlife habitat, and is an offense against communities.” Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk said, “he wants to…

Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk is pleased to announce The Project Lifesaver program will be coming to Palos Park.  The program will be implemented by Palos Park Police in an effort to provide enhanced support and assistance to Palos Park residents who are primary caregivers for an individual suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia disorder as well as families of children afflicted with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injuries or cognitive impairments. These individuals might be prone to wander away from home and become confused or lost. Project Lifesaver …

The Palos Park Police Department announced it will take part in the statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over/Click It or Ticket crackdown by conducting special patrols during this St. Patrick’s Day holiday period to curtail impaired drivers and late-night safety belt lawviolators. “Too often, St. Patrick’s Day can be a deadly and dangerous time on our roadwaysbecause of impaired driving,” said Dan Polk, Police Commissioner “That is why starting today and running through March 17, we will be working overtime . . . to catch and arrest anyone who is driving while impaired or unbuckled.” Chief …

Submitted by Palos Park Police Departement The 2012 Officers for the Palos Park Police Foundation are:  President - Carolyn Baca, Vice President - Ken Stoffel, Secretary - Melissa Gracias, and Treasurer - Adrienne Jackiw. This year current members Mike Sundermeier, Shirley Hulse and Don Mahoney have welcomed four new members - Annette Mucha, Melissa Gracias, Dave Glow and Adrienne Jackiw.    The Palos Park Police Foundation is dedicated to preventing crime, saving lives and making our community a better and safer place to live and work, by assisting the Police Department with resources not …

Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk has announced that the Palos Park Police Department will hold a Super Buckle Up weekend initiative this coming Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 4 – 5. Palos Park police officers will be concentrating on traffic and safety issues like speeding, following too close, improper lane changing, reckless driving and driving impaired, and will be making sure all motorists stopped are in compliance with the seat belt and child safety laws. Several Palos Park police officers are certified to instruct parents on the proper installation and location of all child safety …

The Palos Park Police Department wants to remind residents about some precautionary measures they can take now that the colder weather is upon us and holiday shopping has begun. The primary cause of vehicle thefts at this time of year is vehicles left idling and unattended.  These circumstances represent a crime of opportunity for thieves and in some cases have led to tragic outcomes.     Police also warn about leaving vehicle doors unlocked or any items in plain view. Thefts can occur when the necessary precautions such as locking the vehicle and placing items out of site are not taken. …

A "Click It or Ticket" campaign across Illinois is part of a national effort to prevent tragedies and save lives on the highways Nov. 21 to Nov. 27.  State and local law enforcement agencies will be working together and extending their patrol hours to remind motorists to buckle-up, especially during this holiday traffic period.  "As our roadways become more congested over the Thanksgiving holiday, buckling-up, both day and night, becomes even more important and may mean the difference between a tragedy and a happy holiday,"  said Palos Park Police Chief Joe Miller Nightime is the worst for …

Wear light-colored clothing that's short enough to prevent tripping, and add reflective tape.  Make sure children can see through face masks, or use make-up. Adults should accompany young children. Go out in daylight and carry a flashlight in case of delay. Stay within the neighborhood and only visit homes you know. Watch for traffic. Only give and accept wrapped packaged candy. Examine all candy before children to eat it. Keep costumed children away from pets. The pets may not recognize the child and become frightned.  Avoid hard plastic or wood props such as daggers or swords. Substiture …

It is important to talk to your family to prepare them for various emergencies. Ensure the whole family is a part of the planning process so that the plan addresses everyone's needs. Familiarize yourself with emergency plans at places that are a part of your everyday life, such as school, work, church, or day care. Recognize that in extreme situations, emergency resources may be limited. Be prepared to care for yourself and your family for at least 3 days. Designate locations to meet in case it is impossible to return home or if you have to evacuate. Make sure your family knows the address …

From the Palos Park Police Department: Village of Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney and Police Commissioner Dan Polk are pleased to announce that Patrol Officer Chris Hughes is to be promoted the rank of Sergeant of Police at the Village of Palos Park Council meeting on August 8, 2011 at 7 30 pmSergeant Hughes began his career at a young age, first as a Police Cadet for the City of Palos Heights, and then moved on to become a Community Service Officer for City of Palos Hills.Sergeant Hughes first worked as a part time officer for the Village of Crestwood, and attended the Northeast Regional Part …

Friends and family of the late First Lady Betty Ford will gather in Palm Desert Tuesday afternoon for celebration of life service. Former Palos Park Police Pastor Lane Hensley is now a Rector of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church and School Palm Desert, Calif. Lane will be officiating the service assisted by the Rev. Deacon Cherry Remboldt. Lane left the Palos Park Police Department in June 2010 for his assignment at St Margaret's in Palm Desert, Calif. You can view the memorial service live on CNN's website. The following are minutes from the Village Board meeting where Hensley was honored …

One of the greatest challenges in identifying and catching copper thieves, is that they often dress like repairmen you would normally expect to see working in an electrical panel or loading copper into the back of a truck. People passing by see them and think nothing of it, and this simple fact has emboldened many thieves into daring daylight thefts. Tips as the best line of defense against copper theft: If you have information about a copper theft, report it immediately Immediately report any suspicious activity When away from home, make sure your house and outbuildings aresecurely locked. …

1. Get a rear light. If you're riding at night, you absolutely should use a flashing red rear light. Bike shops have red rear blinkies for $15 or less. These kind of lights typically take two AA batteries, which last for months (something like 200 hours). I can't stress this item enough: If you ride at night, get a rear light! 2. Wear a reflective vest or a safety triangle. High quality reflective gear makes you a lot more visible even in the day time, not just at night. I had a friend ride away from me while wearing one during the day, and when she was about a quarter mile away, I couldn't …

Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney and Police Commissioner Dan Polk have announced that one component of the Village’s Litter Awareness program will include ticketing litter bugs.Mayor Mahoney said, “Litter is a pervasive problem that adversely affects the health, wealth and welfare of Palos Park residents. As we move into spring, we are asking everyone to join us in our renewed effort to make anti-littering the mantra of Palos Park. Litter poses health risks, harms water quality and wildlife habitat, and is an offense against communities.” Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk said, “he wants …

Our community lost a very kind and generous man this week. Ralph Vennetti, husband of Katherine and father of Ralph (Sandra), Michael (Andrea) and David (Julie) Vennetti.Please allow us to now share with you the “real story” about Ralph and the type of man he was. As the economy began to severely impact the Village of Palos Park‘s finances, and budget reduction measures where underway, we placed a moratorium on police officer in service training. We thought for a time, in order to live within a lean budget, we had to forego training for our officers in the short term.As we dealt with the …