Village of Arlington Heights Illinois

Accreditation | CALEA
The Department was initially accredited in 2008. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) was established as an independent accrediting authority in 1979 by four major law enforcement executive associations; International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). CALEA’s purpose and mission is two-fold. First, to establish a body of standards designed to increase agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public safety services and, second, to establish and administer a series of accreditation programs through which public safety agencies can demonstrate voluntarily that they meet an established set of professionally recognized standards leading to excellence in management and service delivery.

Court Liaison
A civilian staff member is assigned as a liaison between the Police Department and the Circuit Court of Cook County. This employee is responsible for monitoring police personnel in the courtroom, ensuring accurate records are maintained on court activities, and assisting citizens drawn into the legal process (complainants, victims, and witnesses).

Parking Tickets
Parking tickets must be resolved within 90 days of the date of issuance. After 90 days, all unresolved parking tickets will be submitted to a private agency for collection. The collection agency is Armor, 847.731.2200. All payments, prior to the collection process, may be made in person or mailed to the Village Finance Department. Do not mail cash. The ticket number should be written on your check. You may also pay your parking ticket online. If you want to contest the ticket(s), a court date may be requested in person or by calling the Police Records Section.

Police Records & Reports
Copies of police reports are available from the Police Records Section between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except on Village-recognized holidays). Copies of police accident reports may be requested by parties involved, a minimum of three days following the incident. A fee of $5 will be charged for copies of standard police accident reports. Accidents may be purchased online at www.docview.us.com. You will need the agency name, report number, and incident date. There is a convenience charge for this option. Requests for copies of case reports should be made in writing. We ask that you use the Request for Records ( Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Form) to receive that information. Learn more on our Request for Records page. Requests for special information (i.e. crime or arrest statistics within specific geographical areas) will be accommodated if possible to do so, in accordance with state statute, a printed list of child sex offenders requistered within the Police Department's jurisdiction is available for public inspection at the Police Records Section upon display of photo identification. For records information, please contact Maureen Schmidt, Records Supervisor at 847.368-5320 or email mschmidt@vah.com.

Adult Investigations
Adult investigations provide for the resolution of calls for police service that are beyond the limitations of patrol division personnel due to geography, expertise or time constraints. Adult investigation personnel conduct follow-up investigations primarily on criminal complaints involving persons over the age of 16 years. The majority of their time is dedicated to the unusually complex or more serious crimes. They are also responsible for addressing criminal activities they discover during the course of other follow-up investigations. Police personnel assigned to all sections of the Criminal Investigation Bureau are non-uniformed officers.

Financial Crimes
The Financial Crimes Unit of the Arlington Heights Police Department is part of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and is responsible for investigating the following crimes: Forgery, Deceptive Practice, Identity Theft, and Unlawful Use of Credit Cards. Financial Crimes Unit will also assist local merchants who have been the victim of Non-sufficient Fund or Closed Account checks, having a total of $5000.00 or more, by investigating these cases as criminal matters.

Peer Jury
The Peer Jury Program is designed to provide a meaningful and remedial method of dealing with selected juvenile offenders under the age of 17 years. Young offenders appearing before the Peer Jury are not referred to Cook County Juvenile Court. Conversely, Peer Jury does not determine the guilt or innocence of the individual. A case is sent to the Peer Jury for a hearing before eight juvenile jurors and an adult moderator only when: (1) the offender admits to committing the offense; (2) the Police Juvenile Officer determines that such a disposition is appropriate; (3) the offender and his or her parents or guardian consent in writing to such a disposition; and (4) the youth is a first-time offender.  When the above four conditions are met, the offending youth and his or her parent(s) or guardian are scheduled for a hearing. These hearings are confidential and not open to the public. Any high school age individual interested in serving as a peer juror may call the Police Department for more information at 847.368.5300.

High School Counselor
The High School Police Counselors serve as an educational liaison between the school community and the Police Department. The police counselors are expected to enforce state laws, municipal ordinances, school rules and policies. They will advise students in social and legal matters that concern them. The police counselors will investigate and follow-up on complaints, reports and information on crimes and activities received by the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Department.

Juvenile Investigations
The Arlington Heights Police Department advocates an expanded, enlightened role by law enforcement in matters of juvenile delinquency, anchored particularly in a formal juvenile section and developed by trained, expert youth investigators. The department believes that this approach will aid in the prevention of delinquency, protect the constitutional rights of juveniles and divert the less serious juvenile offenders in the most appropriate manner. The Arlington Heights Police Department has established a juvenile section within the Criminal Investigation Bureau to facilitate the goal of diverting youthful offenders away from delinquent behavior through counseling, education and social service referrals. The juvenile section includes general assignment youth investigators, as well as police counselors assigned as liaisons to John Hersey High School, Forest View Educational Center and Timber Ridge School. Personnel assigned to the Juvenile Investigations branch also conduct follow up investigations on serious crimes involving juvenile victims, utilizing various community resources, including the Children’s Advocacy Center. Victim-sensitive interviews are conducted at the Advocacy Center by a trained interviewer. An advocate is also assigned to each case and provides any necessary social services to the child victim and family.

Registered Sex Offenders
The Registered Sex Offender liaison is Val Andrews. Detective Andrews can be reached at vandrews@vah.com.  To view the Registered Sex Offenders map, please "agree" to the following disclaimer:

The following is a list of sex offenders who have registered with the Arlington Heights Police Department. Persons required to register as Sex Offenders are persons who have been charged with an offense listed in the Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 150/2(b) when the charge resulted in one of the following; conviction, not guilty by reason of insanity, or a finding not resulting in acquittal at a hearing. Individuals are included on the Registry solely by virtue of their conviction record and Illinois state law. The primary purpose of providing this information is to make the information easily available and accessible, not to warn about any specific individuals. The Village of Arlington Heights and the Arlington Heights Police Department make no representations as to any offender’s likelihood of re-offending. Anyone who uses this information to commit a criminal act against another person is subject to criminal prosecution. Information compiled on this Registry may not be used to harass or threaten sex offenders or their families. Harassment, stalking or threats may violate Illinois criminal law. The information on this Registry can change quickly so the current residence, status or other information regarding an offender may not be accurate. In addition, some of the information is gathered from the offenders themselves who may fail to provide accurate information. The information on this Registry is provided “as-is” without warranty or any representation of accuracy, timeliness or completeness. The Village of Arlington Heights makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the use of this Registry. The user acknowledges and accepts all inherent limitations of the Registry, including the fact that the maps and data are dynamic and in a constant state of maintenance, correction and revision. Neither the Village nor its officers and employees assume any liability for the accuracy of the information in this Registry. In no event shall the Village or its officers or employees be liable for any damages arising in any way out of the use of this information. You must agree with the conditions set forth in this disclaimer in order to access the Registry.

Murderer and Violent Offender against Youth Registration
Information identifying locally Registered Murderers and Violent Offenders against Youths is available through the Illinois State Police website. The Registered Murderer and Violent Offender against Youth liaisons are Detectives Tim Jasper and Sally Ward.  Each Detective can be reached at tjasper@vah.com or sward@vah.com.

Community-Police Information Network (C-PIN) C-PIN is the successor to the Neighborhood Watch Program. The purpose of the Community-Police Information Network (C-PIN) program is to create and maintain multiple lines of communication between the Arlington Heights Police Department and our residents and members of the business community. C-PIN will provide enhanced opportunities for relevant and timely two-way communication with subscribers through CitizenObserver and Twitter.

Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis is defined as the systematic retrieval and analytical processing of information pertinent to crime patterns and trends of criminal behavior. Crime analysis is primarily designed to assist the Police Department in the proper utilization of resources and the deployment of personnel in the suppression and prevention of criminal activity.

Crime analysis supports a number of department functions including patrol deployment, investigative operations, crime prevention and administrative program planning and budget research. The crime analysis function is an ancillary responsibility of the Problem Oriented Policing Coordinator. Annually produced crime analysis projects include Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest statistics, Residential and Vehicle Burglary Pin and Color Density Maps.  Maps are viewable here.

Crime Analysis Mapping
To supplement annually produced crime statistics and as a visual representation of year end crime totals, the Police Department provides pin and color density maps. The maps visually display end of year totals for vehicle burglary, burglary, driving under the influence (DUI) arrest and traffic crash data totals. Year end pin and color density maps as well as Weekly Hot Crimes maps are also available as a subscription service of the Citizen Observers Network.

To aid in a review of each mapping style, both pin and color density maps are defined as follows:

Pin Mapping
Pin mapping is designed to show geographic areas of certain crime types. In the example of traffic crash mapping, pin maps are designed to identify repetitive traffic crash problems by geographic location and direct Police Department efforts in selective enforcement programs. Given their simplicity and in the specific example of traffic crashes by intersection, pin maps can easily be adjusted to reflect the varying frequency of concentrated data by grouping higher numbers of events under specialized symbols.

Color Density Mapping 
Color density maps are designed to visually represent concentrated areas of greater than average numbers of measurable events. As a crime analysis tool, color density maps highlight increased risks of victimization by quickly revealing those geographic areas of individually focused criminal behavior. Color density maps are designed to show hot or cool spots in a variety of methods including: ellipses, shaded areas or crime frequency gradients where the risk of crime is graduated by contours highlighting intensity changes of color. The topographical or isoline contour highlighting of color utilized by the Police Department in traffic crash and DUI analysis translates the average intensity of incidents through varying shades of the colors green to yellow to red.

Color density maps are commonly utilized by the Police Department to direct surveillance operations, patrol deployment and crime prevention strategies. As a crime analysis tool, both pin and color density maps offer the human eye a more relaxed ability to process and interpret analyzed data. View the crime analysis information and maps.

Crime Prevention
The Crime Prevention Officer is responsible for establishing and maintaining community contacts within the Department’s service area by developing and implementing presentations relating to crime prevention issues. The Officer participates in school-based education programs such as Internet Safety presentations, the PEDAL car program and Officer Friendly Pre-school visits. Education is the key component of the crime prevention program.

In addition to educating the youth of the community, the crime prevention officer provides valuable information to adults through programs such as Home Security Surveys, Citizen Police Academy, Neighborhood Safety Program, Identity Theft presentations and Elder Abuse Prevention Presentations. In addition to providing education to the public through the aforementioned programs, the Crime Prevention Officer has ancillary responsibilities such as liaison to the civilian Crime Stoppers Program, Village Plan Review, and False Alarm Review. The Crime Prevention Officer is Brandi Romag and she can be reached at bromag@vah.com.

Problem Oriented Policing Unit
The Problem Oriented Policing (P.O.P.) officer is responsible for identifying, analyzing and coordinating collaborative problem solving solutions for chronic crime trends and reoccurring criminal issues. Problem oriented policing emphasizes fresh responses to crime prevention strategies and attempts to implement techniques independent of law enforcement, arrest and the criminal justice system. Problem oriented policing programs involve the commitment of public and private agencies working towards the community's long term goal of reducing crime problems. As a complimentary skill, the Problem Oriented Police Coordinator is a certified Crime Analyst. The Problem Oriented Policing Coordinator is Officer Carrie Regilio. She can be reached at cregilio@vah.com.

School Resource Officer
An Officer is assigned to fulfill the responsibilities of a School Resource Officer. The Officer works in partnership with School Administrators and teachers at all of the Village’s elementary and middle schools, maintaining clear communication in matters of mutual interest. The SRO is primarily responsible for School Safety and crime prevention through education. The SRO often acts as a counselor and mentor to students and frequently teaches law enforcement related topics in the schools such as Decision Making techniques, Safety Patrol, and Internet Safety. This position requires liaison with the School Safety Advisory Task Force, Parent/Teacher Organizations, Safe Walk to School support team, Rockin with the Cops, and Citizen Police Academy. In addition to the educational aspect of this position, the SRO also handles issues of a criminal matter and criminal investigations when crimes occur in and around the elementary schools. The SRO is Rick Veenstra and he can be reached at rveenstra@vah.com.

Victim Services Coordinator
The role of the Victim Services Coordinator is largely governed by the guidelines of the Federal Grant that subsidizes the position. The employee in this position serves as an advocate for victims of crime by offering crisis counseling, arranging referrals, and generally assisting the victims of crime through the court system and process. Victims of domestic violence are assisted with securing Orders of Protection. While the court process is active, the Victim Services Coordinator provides case status or disposition and/or appearance notification to crime victims. The employee also develops and maintains collaborative working relationships with local social service agencies and community organizations. Our Victim Services Coordinator is Kristin Eby and she can be reached at keby@vah.com.

Alarm System Emergency Notification Information
The Community Services Bureau maintains and updates emergency notification information for business and residential alarm system owners. Emergency notification information is provided to staff at the Police Information Desk for use by Police Officers and/or Fire Department personnel who respond to activated alarms. When emergency notification information is on file, a listed representative will be notified when an alarm activation has occurred at your residence or place of business. Your cooperation in maintaining up-to-date and accurate information will reduce unnecessary delays in contacting a property representative or agent. If there have been any changes to previously identified representatives, or if you have never provided emergency notification information, please complete and submit the Emergency Notification Information Form at your earliest convenience. Listed representatives or agents should live in close proximity to Arlington Heights, have unlimited access to your business or home and be familiar with your alarm system. Alarm System Emergency Identification Card.

Downtown Business Association Liaison Officer 
The Police Department has designated a single uniformed officer to serve as the Downtown Business Association Liaison Officer.This officer is responsible for initial response to all calls for police service in the Downtown Business Association and interacts with merchants and other citizens on a daily basis to resolve problems of mutual concern. The Downtown Business Association Liaison Officer typically works Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, but adjustments in the officer’s schedule are made for special occasions such as Sidewalk Days, holiday activities, and other special community events held in the Downtown Business Association. 

Calls for Police Service
The Arlington Heights Police Department is a member of the Northwest Central Dispatch System, a multi-jurisdictional dispatch center which provides police and fire dispatching for the communities of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, and Streamwood. All emergency and non-emergency calls for police service are dispatched by Northwest Central Dispatch. Citizens in need of police service should call 9-1-1. Citizens can call the front desk of the Police Department for general informational questions, 847-368-5300.

Forensic Technician Unit
The Forensic Technician Unit is comprised of officers who have been extensively trained in all aspects of crime scene processing and evidence collection. The Forensic Technician’s main responsibility is the identification, collection and preservation of all physical evidence present at a crime scene. This may involve something as simple as lifting a fingerprint from a motor vehicle burglary, or as complex as the processing of a major crime scene, such as a homicide. 

Park Counselor Program
The Park Counselor Program is a seasonal program operating from Memorial Day through Labor Day, which places adult “counselors” in the parks between 7:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. seven days a week to monitor the behavior of patrons. Park Counselors are encouraged to educate patrons regarding park ordinances when minor infractions are encountered, but are instructed to call police when voluntary compliance cannot be obtained or more serious illegal behavior is observed. The Police Department provides operational oversight of the Park Counselor Program with input from the Arlington Heights Park District, which assists in the funding of the program.

Traffic Enforcement Unit
All Patrol Bureau officers conduct traffic enforcement on a daily basis as part of their routine patrol duties. Officers are encouraged to give special attention to roadways and intersections where a higher number of traffic crashes have been experienced, or areas where citizens have reported erratic driving behavior. Patrol Bureau officers are also responsible for the investigation of all traffic crashes occurring within the village. The Police Department maintains a unit of officers specially trained in crash investigation and reconstruction who provide expert investigation of major crashes involving death or serious injury. 

The Village of Arlington Heights is located in Cook County, Illinois approximately 17 miles Northwest of Chicago. With a  census population of 76,031 permanent residents, the Village ranks as the second largest Chicago suburb in the County, and the eleventh largest city within the State. Arlington Heights is also home to 3800 various businesses, including the Arlington Park Racetrack, which is recognized as a premier facility both nationally and throughout the thoroughbred horse racing world.   

Each workday an approximate workforce of 46,000 employees transverse the Village by motor vehicles and other forms of public transportation. The Village’s vast traffic infrastructure is contained within a mere 16.1 square miles. Three governmental agencies maintain the 265 miles of paved roadway throughout the Village: 223 miles of municipal streets, 32 miles of State highways and 10 miles of roadway maintained by Cook County. Located along all of these are 1739 intersections of which 60 contain traffic light signals. In addition, the Union Pacific Railroad supports eight grade crossings and two commuter stations adjacent to Northwest Highway. The heavy traffic generated by the commuting public has made Arlington Heights the busiest depot on the Metra commuter line.   

Goals
The main goal of the Traffic Enforcement Unit is to reduce traffic accidents, both the serious ones involving injury as well as the minor "fender benders".   Our Traffic Officers work to accomplish this goal by implementing activities involving the Three E's...Education, Engineering and Enforcement. This translates into everyday programs and services such as traffic safety presentations and awareness programs, interfacing with the Village Traffic Engineer and other authorities concerning roadway configuration and signage issues, utilization of the 'Stealth Stat' speed measuring device to monitor the volume and speeds encountered at a specific roadway location, focused Selective Enforcement Patrol Driving Under The Influence (DUI) and seat belt compliance checkpoints and patrols, placement of a Radar Traffic Trailer in areas of speed concerns to increase driver awareness, deployment of the Mannequin Decoy Squad Car, partnerships with the community via the Citizen Assisted Radar Program.  

The Traffic Enforcement Unit works closely with other Department officers, Village departments and community agencies to resolve traffic issues at the neighborhood level. These efforts are aimed to reduce the number of vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian collisions, as well as incidents of drinking and driving. 

Traffic Unit Staff
The Traffic Enforcement Unit is located within the Patrol Division of the Police Department. It is supervised by a Police Sergeant and is currently comprised of  three Police Officers. The officers work both morning and evening shifts of eight hours. 

Depending on weather and/or seasonal conditions, the Traffic Officers generally conduct their work activities in either marked or unmarked Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor squad cars or on our Harley Davidson Road King Police Special motorcycles. Police motorcycle training is very demanding both physically and mentally. Officers must learn to operate an almost 900 pound motorcycle, be able to avoid hazards, detect violators and safely apprehend them.  The police motorcycle is capable of moving through traffic much easier than the squad cars.  The motorcycle is also capable of accelerating quickly, which makes it the ideal tool for apprehending speeding violators.  The Arlington Heights Police Department has an outstanding safety record.  

In addition to traffic enforcement duties, the Traffic Officers are tasked with a variety of special responsibilities. They are instrumental in providing traffic control during special events in the Village, take the lead during holiday parades, and provide escort duty during funeral processions.

Nobody likes to get a ticket, and the men and women in law enforcement are made painfully aware of this on many occasions. Officers assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Unit have asked to be assigned there. They strongly believe they can make a difference. They realize they probably will not win many popularity contests, but studies have proven time and time again that what they do will help to make our community a safer place to live in. They all accept the necessity of what they do and strive to present a strong, professional enforcement posture. 

Selective Enforcement in School Related Zones
One of the duties of the Traffic Enforcement Unit is to be in the vicinity of the various schools within the Village during arrival or dismissal times. Officers utilize speed detection devices in these posted 20 MPH school speed limit zones and cite traffic violators when children are present. This helps to maintain safe driving habits by all motorists, and assure that the students and school buses arrive and depart safely.  Traffic officers also initiate and conduct follow-up investigations on reports of school bus stop-arm violations while children are entering and exiting school buses. This violation is outlined in the Illinois Vehicle Code under Section 625 ILCS 5 / 11-1414. Violators are required to appear in court, and a conviction will result in a mandatory three-month drivers license suspension or one-year suspension for a second or subsequent conviction. 

Traffic Radar Trailer
The Traffic Radar Trailer is a dual-purpose stationary radar trailer designed to raise public awareness on streets where unsafe speed is a potential or existing problem.  It also serves to alert drivers about their speed when they pass through an area where the trailer is parked. A stationary radar unit inside the trailer tracks the approaching vehicle and displays the speed on a signboard.  Above this signboard is displayed the posted speed limit. The driver is instantly made aware of his/her speed and can make the necessary corrections.  Studies have shown that deploying this trailer in high incident collision locations can significantly reduce injury traffic accidents. The radar trailer is powered by a battery, and also has a solar panel on top for trickle recharging that can extend a trailer visit to approximately ten days during sunny weather. 

Stealth Stat Speeding Monitoring
The Traffic Enforcement Unit obtained new state-of-the-art equipment to monitor speeding in neighborhoods called the 'Stealth Stat'. This speed-measuring device, is a small box typically attached to a light or other utility pole, and monitors traffic volume on a typical residential street, as well as recording the high, average and low speeds of motorists  for up to a two-day period. The Stealth Stat collects, sorts and analyzes this speed data using a Doppler radar unit and computer. The data is then reviewed internally by the traffic officers and shared with any interested residents. The resulting speed data will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the Traffic Enforcement Unit in determining which residential streets require more monitoring and enforcement efforts.

LIDAR
The Traffic Enforcement Unit also received additional cutting-edge technology to assist with daily traffic enforcement activities - the Kustom Signals  ProLaser® III LIDAR unit.

L.I.D.A.R. (LIght Detection And Ranging) is the latest speed detection technology for police use. The LIDAR unit emits approximately 200 to 300 light pulses per second of infrared laser light to measure both the range and velocity of targets. The beam width is approximately 3 feet wide at 1,000 feet, making this unit very target specific. The laser is a major headache for any speeder targeted by its invisible light because the laser's tightly concentrated beam can pick out the target it's operator chooses.  

LIDAR gives the officer the ability to single out a specific target vehicle and acquire its speed with absolute precision. It calculates only the speeds of targets that the operator chooses. Aiming is helped by a heads-up display (HUD). This unique speed detection unit will prove useful on heavily traveled roadways and where the speeds encountered are higher. Since many speeding violators regularly utilize radar detectors in their vehicles to avoid receiving tickets and enhance their ability to speed, the LIDAR technology offers a new way for officers to catch and cite these chronic offenders. Even the best radar/laser detector is hard-pressed to spot a laser beam unless it is hit nearly dead-on. 

Citizen Assisted Radar Program
This community-based assistance program provides Arlington Heights residents with the opportunity to help identify locations where speeding is problematic. Citizens can participate by observing and recording the speeds and descriptions of vehicles on their neighborhood streets. The program is designed to educate drivers of the community concerning speeding vehicles, and to encourage safe driving habits.

After contacting the Arlington Heights Police Department, residents will receive basic training in the use of a battery operated hand-held Doppler radar unit, as well as conforming with program requirements. The hand-held radar unit will then be loaned out to Arlington Heights residents, free of charge, for a one - week use period. Residents are asked to collect speed data on the various days and times they believe speeding is occurring in their residential neighborhood, and to submit a written log of their observations. The data will later be analyzed by traffic officers to determine the presence of any violation patterns so that proper selective enforcement activities can be initiated. 

In addition, the Arlington Heights Police Department may send a letter to the registered owner(s) of the vehicle(s) found in violation of the posted speed limits, advising them of the observed violation, and encouraging the operators to drive at or below the posted speed limits. Often, drivers who speed through residential neighborhoods are unaware of the negative impact that their actions have on maintaining a safe and peaceful neighborhood environment. These letters are for informational purposes only, they do not affect driving records nor do they impose any fines.

Traffic Safety Grants
The Arlington Heights Police Department has received several traffic safety grants from the Illinois Department of Transportation - Traffic Safety Division.  One of these, the Integrated Mini-Grant Enforcement Program (IMaGE), provides for an increased police traffic enforcement presence to directly address contributory factors of motor vehicle traffic crashes. 

Our officers work towards the goals of reducing the average speed of drivers to correspond with the posted speed limits, promoting voluntary compliance with occupant restraint statutes and arresting drivers under the influence. These enforcement initiatives are performed in order to improve the overall vehicular and pedestrian safety within the Village of Arlington Heights.  

Railroad Grade Crossings
The Arlington Heights Police Department is continuing its efforts to change some of the unsafe and unlawful practices of motorists, pedestrians and train commuters at its eight railroad grade crossings and two commuter stations, by incorporating both education efforts and selective enforcement techniques to increase the public's level of compliance with railroad safety laws.   

Approximately seventy (70)  METRA-commuter and Union Pacific trains travel through Arlington Heights each weekday, making it one of the busiest stops along the Northwest line.  The likelihood of severe injury and death for drivers, passengers and pedestrians is far greater in grade crossing train crashes than in many other types of traffic accidents, yet is among the most easily preventable of all collisions.  The Illinois Vehicle Code includes the following provisions relating to movement across railroad grade crossings, and the special stops that are required upon receipt of signals of an approaching train.  

Pedestrian Violations:

• 625 ILCS 5 / 11-1011(b) and (c) - Pedestrian Disregarded Activated Railroad Crossing Signal
• 625 ILCS 5 / 18c-7503 - Trespassing On Railroad Property Prohibited

Vehicular Violations:

• Disobeyed Activated Railroad Crossing Signal 625 ILCS 5 / 11-1201(d-5) - Failure To Completely Clear Railroad Crossing No Parking / Standing / Stopping On Any Railroad Tracks 

Safety at railroad crossings is a serious matter, and complacency with these laws may result in unnecessary injury and death, as well as court sanctioned penalties such as a $250 fine or 25 hours of community service, and possible suspension of driving privileges for vehicular violations.

By reminding people of the very avoidable dangers inherent in ignoring railroad crossing warnings, we hope to change the high-risk behavior drivers and commuters have shown in the past. A poll taken by Operation Lifesaver recently showed that 45 percent of commuters are willing to cross railroad tracks in the face of flashing warning lights; 30 percent said that going around a lowered crossing gate "can be justified", and 20 percent of drivers said it is more acceptable to go through a gated railroad crossing than to run a red light. Whether you're a risk-taker or not, remember: You can't beat the train!

DUI Enforcement
The Arlington Heights Police Department is aware of the serious threat drunk or impaired drivers pose to the public. An intoxicated or impaired driver moving three thousand plus pounds of steel down the street is a frightening thought and a real danger. Yet it happens every hour of the day every day of the week.

In an effort to reduce impaired driving, alcohol related crashes and apprehend DUI drivers, all of our police officers receive training in the detection of impaired drivers. Officers are required to be proficient in detecting DUI drivers and administering field sobriety tests. The Police Department places a high priority on this enforcement action, and makes an ongoing effort to rid our streets of the dangerous threat posed by DUI drivers. 

Studies indicate the majority of people arrested for DUI do not become repeat offenders. The embarrassment and the legal and financial impact on the offender generally serves as a deterrent. Additionally, public awareness over the strict stand taken by law enforcement has reduced the number of intoxicated or impaired drivers on our roads. That may sound like good news, and it is, but the sad fact is there are many others who ignore the potential legal and financial consequences. 

Impaired Driving is an unfortunate and irresponsible act, yet it is around us each and every day. Each of us who encounters an Impaired Driver has the obligation to report that dangerous driver for the sake of our family or someone else’s. With the proliferation of cellular phones, we have a great tool to help curb impaired drivers.

When you see an impaired driver and you have a mobile/cellular phone, you can assist by carefully dialing 911 and advising the dispatcher of your location, and that you have observed a possible impaired driver, providing the dispatcher with a brief description of the dangerous driving, and providing the make, model and color of the vehicle, and license plate information if possible. It will also help to provide your name and telephone number in case the police officer needs more information Please do not attempt to confront the impaired driver if they should stop, or drive in an unsafe manner in an attempt to keep up with the impaired driver

Mission Statement
The Arlington Heights Police Department's mission is to achieve excellence in policing by protecting, serving and partnering with our community. We place our highest value on the preservation of human life and the prevention of crime and will maintain ongoing collaborative relationships with community partners to identify and address shared concerns. We will protect the rights of individuals by upholding the laws and the Constitution in an impartial and unbiased manner, strive for excellence in the quality of our work and we will hold ourselves to the highest standards and are accountable for actions both personally and as an organization.

Core Values

Integrity 
We are committed to the enforcement of laws and the preservation of order and property. We are honest, truthful, and consistent in our words and actions, and therefore worthy of the public’s trust. We exercise discretion in a manner that is beyond reproach. 

Professionalism
We treat the public and our colleagues with courtesy and respect. We understand that our appearance, words, and demeanor contribute to the public’s confidence in us. We are responsive to the community, and deliver services promptly and efficiently.

Fairness and Impartiality
We act with fairness, restraint, and impartiality in carrying out our duties. We work with the community to continually understand and overcome cultural influences and unconscious biases. We understand that our actions, combined with the way we treat members of the community, contributes to our “legitimacy” in the eyes of the public.

Teamwork
We work together as one organization in carrying out the mission of the department.  As individual members of the department we are respectful to each other and work collectively to solve problems and serve the community.

Efficiency
We keep abreast of standard procedures, legal issues, and innovative topics in modern policing through regular training. We exercise rigor in thinking strategically about identifying trends, exploring alternative solutions, and solving problems.

Advocacy and Empathy
We have compassion for victims of crime. As members of the community, we have respect for and promote the diversity of the community. We advocate for social and other supportive services for victims, youth, and others involved in the criminal justice system.