Police Department - Community Policing
Crime Prevention Unit
The mission of the Crime Prevention Unit is to reduce criminal opportunity in the Village through the implementation of successful crime displacing programs such as Neighborhood Watch, Triad, and Fleet Watch.
The goal of the Crime Prevention officer is to maintain strong police-community relations through informational and educational programs in an effort to reduce crime and enhance the quality of life in the Village of North Aurora.
According to the National Crime Prevention Institute, the formal definition of Crime Prevention is: the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk, and the initiation of some action to remove or reduce it.
Crime's Triangle
Three factors must be present for a crime to occur:
- The desire on the part of the criminal
- The skills and tools needed to commit a crime
- And the opportunity to successfully carry out the crime
Obviously, we cannot hope to eliminate a criminals desire to commit crimes, nor can we take away one's skills to commit a crime. However, Crime Prevention can remove the opportunity. Without an opportunity to commit a crime, the criminal is forced to go elsewhere.
If any North Aurora resident or business is interested in a Free Security Survey please contact Officer Robyn Stecklein at 897-8705 for further information.
"Fleet Watch" Comes To North Aurora
On April 18th, 1998 the North Aurora Police Department took its first step toward starting a crime prevention program called Fleet Watch. The Fleet Watch program is aimed at providing emergency services through the cooperation of alert radio or cellular phone equipped public and private service employees, and law enforcement agencies.
Fleet Watch operates on the principle that the best crime prevention resource any police department can have is the citizens of the community.
Participating vehicles can be identified by a green and white Fleet Watch bumper sticker, with McGruff on it. Vehicles displaying the Fleet Watch bumper stickers are not to be considered a squad car, taxi, or ambulance; however the vehicle can be used by citizens as a reporting station. Company employees involved in the Fleet Watch program are trained on when and how to report incidents that they witness to the police. For instance, if a child were lost or in danger, Fleet Watch participants would notify the police and keep the child near their vehicle until police arrived. Through Fleet Watch programs in other communities, activities such as armed robberies, burglaries in progress, hit and run accidents and fires have been reported.
The department initially worked with Oberweis Dairy, Aurora Packing, and the North Aurora Public Works Department to implement the program, but any company in the North Aurora area that has either radio or mobile phone capabilities may participate.
Any company wishing further information on this program can contact Officer Robyn Stecklein at the North Aurora Police Department - (630) 897-8705
Neighborhood Watch/C.O.P
If you would like to become a member of a Neighborhood Watch group or if you would like to join our Community On-Line Patrol Program, please contact our Crime Prevention Division at 897-8705.
If you like to join our Neighborhood Watch please submit your name and a phone number so that we may contact you with information. If you would like to join our C.O.P. Program submit your e-mail address and the general area you reside in. All e-mail addresses are kept confidential. Your e-mail address will not be given out and it will not be sent to other participating members in the program.
TRIAD
TRIAD—A concept in action
Fundamentally, TRIAD is a program philosophy. A philosophy that focuses on reducing criminal victimization of older persons and enhancing the delivery of law enforcement services to these individuals. TRIAD truly believes that older persons should be able to feel safe in their own community. The philosophy sees law enforcement, older volunteers, and social and aging network professionals coming together to assess the needs and concerns of older people in their community, and finding creative ways to address these needs.
TRIAD is not an acronym. The original choice of the word “TRIAD” probably emerged at the origination of the philosophy by a “group of three” organization in 1989: the National Sheriffs Association (NSA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the America Association of Retired Persons (AARP). These three founding groups signed a cooperative agreement to encourage the growth of local TRIADS and to sponsor annual meetings to provide information and support to local community leadership. The Triad program at the local level is not limited to just these three organizations.
The TRIAD philosophy is best implemented at the local, grassroots level because there communication, cooperation and resources work hand-in-hand in a community's own backyard. There is ownership at the local level. And there is pride in an effort well done.
Who are our local TRIAD
The Southeast Kane County Triad is composed of representatives of the Aurora, North Aurora, Montgomery, Fox Valley Park District Police, and Kane County Sheriff's Police. Along with many other senior social agencies across Kane county. The Southeast Kane County Triad is dedicated to the service and quality of life of seniors in our area, and to improve communication and understanding between seniors and law enforcement.
When was it formed
The Southeast Kane County Triad had it formal beginning on Sept 25,1997 when a interdepartmental agreement was signed by each Chief of the respective departments pledging to work together toward improvement of quality of life for their area seniors. The group had its actual start months prior to that, where the basic groundwork was laid out.
Salt is the heart of the TRIAD
Each TRIAD is governed by an advisory council know as S.A.L.T. (Seniors and Law enforcement Together). Each SALT council acts as an advisory group and provides a forum for the exchange of information between seniors and law enforcement. Council members are selected and invited by either law enforcement organizations or someone representing seniors. The function of the SALT council is to determine the concerns of the community's elderly persons, assess the availability of existing services and programs and implement programs when needed.
Activities and programs planned by the SALT advisory council benefit both law enforcement and senior citizens. Programs sponsored by TRIAD include, but are not limited to:
- Crime Prevention programs for older persons
- Information on avoiding criminal victimization
- Extended Neighborhood Watch Involvement
- Home security information and inspections
Emergency Medical Information Cards
The first project the Southeastern Kane County TRIAD undertook was the Medical Information Cards. Designed as an emergency life saving tool the 8 x 5 magnetic cards stick to the front of the refrigerator. The cards can tell police and paramedics what medications the resident is taking (see attached), whether they have allergies or other specific conditions, their doctor information and how to contact family members. The list can be invaluable if police and paramedics respond to a call from a senior's home and find the resident injured, for whatever reason, and unable to provide the information themselves.
The refrigerator cards have proven to be a great success. The original printing of fifteen hundred cards (with funding from Provena Mercy) have been already distributed to seniors residing in the area serviced by the Southeastern Kane County Triad. A second printing is now available, due to the demand. The refrigerator cards have been adopted as an on-going project. A Senior Safety Academy is the next major project of the council.
Senior Safety Academy
In the spring of 1999 the Southeastern Kane County Triad conducted its first Senior Safety Academy. The academy met once a week for 6 weeks at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Each week two experts would come to talk about topics of interest to seniors in our area. Topics such as long term care planning, investments, Y2K, personal safety and health issues were covered. Over 50 area seniors attended and graduated the safety academy.
Due to a large demand, a second Senior Safety Academy was held in the fall of 1999. The second academy was also held at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Over 650 area seniors attended and graduated the fall session of the safety academy.
What the future holds
Planning is now underway for two Senior Safety Academies to be held in the spring and fall of the year 2000. The Triad S.A.L.T. counsel is currently trying to line up new speakers for the new academies. Planning is also underway for a series of one-day informative talks to be held at locations throughout Southern Kane County. As always, TRIAD is looking to the area seniors for ideas or suggestions.
If anyone is interested in attending a Senior Safety Academy, or would like to have a TRIAD speaker at their club or organization, please contact our Crime Prevention Division at (630) 897-8705.
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