Click here to view Town Hall Meeting on Internet Predators. [Large file(345MB), may take some time to download]

RECENT NEWS RELEASES

• Please check back for updates.
• Click here to review Internal Police Review Results.

PROGRAMS

The Oak Brook Police Department Crime Prevention and Community Relations Unit offers many crime prevention programs to the residents of the Village and to the business community. Some of our programs include:

• Personal safety seminars-at-home-work-travel-shopping
• D.A.R.E. ( Drug Abuse Resistance Education ).
• Vehicle theft prevention seminars
• Home and Business security surveys
• Senior citizen crime prevention-topics cover scams-cons and charity fraud
• Retail Theft Prevention/Credit Card Fraud/Issuance of bad checks. These seminars are offered to the retail store industry.
• Operation Identification is a program residents may use to engrave social security and or drivers license numbers on their personal property. In the event property is stolen, these items can be easily identified and returned to the rightful owner.
• Neighborhood Watch Programs · Bicycle Safety Programs
• Block party participation-displays and fingerprinting of young children
• Active participation in Oak Brook Days (May) and Autumn Festival (September) both of which are held at the Bath and Tennis Club in the Village.
• Active participation with different children's programs at the Oak Brook Park District and summer Safety Village which takes place in July for three weeks.
• BASSET (Beverage Alcohol Server Seller Training) Seminars. These seminars are state certified by the Department of Alcohol and Substance.
• Active participation in the Illinois Crime Prevention Association. www.wepreventcrime.com
• Active participation in the DuPage Juvenile Officers' Association and the Illinois Juvenile Officers' Association. www.iljoa.com
• Active participation in the Illinois DARE Officers Association.
• Illinois Dare Officers Association
• DuPage Juvenile Officers Association

IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.  The Oak Brook Police Department is committed to doing everything possible to prevent your identity from being stolen.  If you find you are a victim of financial identity theft, please click here for in-depth information regarding fighting back against identity theft. Possessing accurate and all inclusive records will help you to resolve your identity theft case more quickly. Here are some tips for organizing an identity theft case from the Federal Trade Commission in their publication entitled: TAKE CHARGE: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft (June 2005).

• Have a plan when you contact a company. Do not assume that the person you talk to will give you all the information or help you need. Prepare a list of questions to ask the representative, as well as information about your identity theft. Do not end the call until you are sure you understand everything you have been told. If you need more help, ask to speak to a supervisor.
• Write down the name of everyone you talk to, what he or she tells you, and the date the conversation occurred. Use Chart Your Course of Action to help you.
• Follow up in writing with all contacts you have made on the phone or in person. Use certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the company or organization received and when.
• Keep copies of all correspondence or forms you sent.
• Keep the originals of supporting documents, like police reports and letters to and from creditors; send copies only.
• Set up a filing system for easy access to your paperwork.
• Keep old files even if you believe your case is closed. Once resolved, most cases stay resolved, but problems can crop up.

OAK BROOK POLICE AND BUTLER SCHOOL DISTRICT #53 SHARE CLOSE PARTNERSHIP

The Oak Brook Police Department and its DARE www.dare.com (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program celebrated its ten year anniversary in 1998 with Brook Forest School. This anti-drug program is taught to all fifth grade students at this school and consists of seventeen lessons. The fifth grade students learn how to use resistance techniques to say no to drugs, learn about the consequences of drug use, and how to improve the way they feel about themselves and how to make positive choices in life.

The Police Department also offers several child safety presentations to all students at different grade levels in the district.

The Oak Brook Police Department offers many children's programs to our area Schools, Day Care Centers, Churches and Park District. One favorite program for the young children is Child Lures.

The children meet the police officer and learn about the officer's job and day to day tasks. In this program we discuss important issues of safety, such as how to dial 911 for help from the police or fire department. We also talk about what to do if you are lost, and how to be too smart for strangers.

CHILD LURES SCHOOL PROGRAM

At the direction of the Village Of Oak Brook President John W. Craig and to address needs of the community, Chief Thomas Sheahan and the Crime Prevention Unit researched a program to protect the children of Butler School District 53 from adult predators. After reviewing various programs and ideas, the Village of Oak Brook proposed The Child Lures Program to the school district and both Butler and Brook Forest Schools PTA groups.

http://www.childluresprevention.com The Child Lures Prevention school program teaches children life skills to keep them safe from sexual abuse, date rape, abduction, Internet crime, drugs and school violence. The program, which can be taught within the health curriculum annually, consists of a straightforward training video and Presenter's Instruction Guide with easy-to-follow scripted lesson plans, practice scenarios, follow-up activities, comprehension assessment, and tools for parental involvement. A student video with four realistic dramatizations allows students to clearly visualize just how easily they may be lured into dangerous situations.

A parent guide to the program is provided to every parent giving them valuable material on the information that will be discussed and how the program came about. The Oak Brook Police Department teamed up with Butler School District 53 and both Butler and Brook Forest PTA to present a Town Hall meeting to the parents in the Oak Brook community on November 16, 2005 at the Oak Brook Bath and Tennis Club. Allison Rosati of NBC 5 News moderated the meeting. We found Allison Rosati to be a wonderful advocate for our Child Lures Program. At this town hall meeting, we provided parents with the Child Lures Program Parent Guide. The town hall meeting and information on the Child Lures Program is made available by DVD and handout for the community at our police department and the Oak Brook Public Library.

After months of planning, the Oak Brook Police Department was honored to be invited into the schools to Butler School District 53 to introduce the first part of the Child Lures Program on December 15, 2005. On that date, Officer Kadolph and Officer Kozlowski introduced the program to the entire Butler Junior High School student body through six sessions.

The Oak Brook Police Department Crime Prevention Unit will continue to work closely with the school district and PTA groups to ensure this program continues and is presented in the most effective way to the children of the Oak Brook community.

D.A.R.E. The current curriculum for D.A.R.E. results in a 10 week program. These lessons included three separate 5th grade classes. At the conclusion of the class each student designed a D.A.R.E. poster that included the definition of D.A.R.E. and what lessons they learned from D.A.R.E.
These posters truly showed the creativity of the Brook Forest students. Each poster was judged by the D.A.R.E officer, D.A.R.E. mothers and 5th grade teachers. A winning poster was selected from each classroom and a prize given to its creator. An additional student received an award from the Chief of Police for their poster. D.A.R.E. was established in 1988 and is taught universal to 36 million students. D.A.R.E. goes beyond traditional drug abuse and violence prevention programs. It gives children the skills needed to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in gangs or violent activities. It is the largest drug and violence prevention program in the world. In order to prevent drug abuse and teach life skills to the students, the D.A.R.E. curriculum focuses on the following objectives:
Learning to recognize and resist peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Enhancing self-esteem. Learning assertiveness techniques. Learning anger management and conflict resolution skills. Developing risk assessment and decision making skills. Building interpersonal and communication skills. Learning about positive alternatives to substance abuse. D.A.R.E. permits students to see officers in a helping role, not just an enforcement role. D.A.R.E. opens lines of communication between law enforcement and youth. D.A.R.E. Officers can serve as conduits to provide information beyond drug-related topics. D.A.R.E. opens dialogue between the school, police, and parents to deal with other issues.

OAK BROOK POLICE CRIME PREVENTION UNIT

The Oak Brook Police Department's charge is "To Protect and To Serve" our Community. We always encourage community members to call upon us for help and report any type of crime ranging from suspicious activity to home burglaries. One crime that is sometimes overlooked and not reported is Domestic Violence.

Domestic Violence is a very sensitive issue to anyone who has experienced abuse. From the victim who suffers the physical and/or mental abuse, to any family member who may have witnessed abuse, domestic violence can destroy the family unit.

Domestic Violence knows no cultural boundaries or economical distinctions. We encourage anyone who is a victim of this crime to contact the Oak Brook Police Department. Personal information is held in the strictness confidence and we have compassionate officers trained to provide assistance.

We also obtain professional assistance from other agencies in our area.

• Immediate safety for domestic violence victims and their children.
• A twenty-four hour Hotline (469-5650) for immediate access to information and services.
• Counseling and support groups help families cope with the effects of domestic violence and is available to all victims; women, children, men and elderly.
• Court advocates provide support and information about legal options.

The following Internet web sites about domestic violence may be of interest.

http://www.abanet.org/domviol

http://www. thesafetyzone.org

http://www.dvsheltertour.org

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~girlsown

Please stop this circle of violence and seek out help. Your safety and well being are important to us.