Arlington Heights Police's Turn at Budget Workshop

Arlington Heights police kept busy last year, even though the village’s major crimes decreased slightly.

There were 3,332 Part I and Part II crimes - categories used to classify serious crimes - in 2012, a decrease from 2,815 in 2011, the village’s budget shows.

Drunken driving arrests were also down: 176 in 2012 from 197 in 2011. There were fewer overall arrests as well. 

The figures are disclosed in the village’s fiscal year 2014 budget that officials are reviewing. Trustees will be reviewing the police and fire budgets at a workshop at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20.

While crime was down, police enhanced patrol coverage by reorganizing shifts and directed patrol efforts.

Officers were also provided with additional training in special areas like juvenile officers, traffic crash reconstruction and crisis intervention, according to village documents. Arlington Heights police with specialized training are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The department also:

• Used crime analysis to target geographic areas to issue Crime Opportunity Notices. This complimented directed patrols and helped quantify criminal incidents through use of monthly pin maps. The maps are available online and in village hall.
• Researched and developed a voluntary fitness program to enhance the wellness of all department personnel.
• Increased use of Citizen Police Academy Alumni for outreach/volunteer efforts.

Arlington Heights police will outline goals for the upcoming budget year at this week’s workshop meeting.