By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
About once a year, the Independent catches up with Elmhurst Police Chief Michael Ruth to find out what’s new at the Elmhurst Police Department and current trends in crime and other police concerns.
Perhaps the best news is that statistics show crime is down in Elmhurst, but Ruth warns that crime waves are always cyclical. Still, the most recent annual report shows that there were 586 crimes reported in 2017, which is down from 677 reported in 2010. The lowest over the past seven years was 500 reported in 2013. Ruth further cautions that these are reported crimes; it is hard to estimate how many may go unreported.
Crime may be down, but lock your doors!
The annual report also indicates a drop in residential burglaries, from 48 in 2014 to 35 in 2017. Ruth shared this information on Monday, Sept. 10, when he addressed a meeting of the Elmhurst Lions Club.
“There have been a lot of vehicle burglaries lately and much of it happens to unlocked cars,” Ruth said. “Everyone needs to get in the habit of locking their cars all the time, even at home in the driveway or garage. And don’t leave a key fob – especially one that actually starts the car – anywhere that a criminal might find it.”
He also advised not to leave valuable items in plain sight, such as laptops, iPads, etc. He explained that sometimes a group of criminals from Chicago come out to the suburbs like Elmhurst in one vehicle and then spread out and hit one neighborhood after another. If doors are unlocked, it just makes it easier for them to rob you and quicker to get away.
Telephone scams are rampant
Ruth talked about telephone scams that are so common these days, particularly callers who claim to be with the IRS. He reminded the audience that the IRS will only contact you by regular mail and not to fall for any other kind of communication.
Further, scammers will often ask their victim to pay their “debt” by buying iTunes or Apple gift cards and then reading the serial numbers over the phone.
“This is a scam pure and simple,” Ruth said. “Do not fall for this or if you have any doubt at all – any questionable person who contacts you — please feel free to call us. Call the non-emergency number at the Elmhurst Police Department, we would be happy to look into it for you. You don’t have to do it alone. If anything seems not quite right, please feel free to ask. We’re happy to help and it’s better than losing a lot of money.”
LPRs – helpful tool or privacy invader?
While meeting with Ruth, the Independent asked about license plate readers (LPRs), that is, cameras that record plate numbers of passing traffic. Some residents were apprehensive that the LPRs represented an invasion of privacy, but Ruth said they are not at all used to gather data about car owners.
One of the LPRs did help the Police Department track down a thief who had robbed a smartphone store in town. The victim in the store saw that it was a silver car and that it had fled traveling east on St. Charles Road. Another witness managed to catch a few numbers of the license plate. That was enough information to check the LPR records, watching the traffic flow at the approximate time just after the incident. Sure enough, police were able to identify the vehicle and eventually arrest the suspect.
Contact police, not social media
Ruth brought up a few years ago when there was a report of a possible threat of violence at the Elmhurst St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2017. Officers stayed up most of the night before the parade, checking the entire area for things like explosive devices in the bushes, etc.
“The real problem with that [incident] was, people didn’t call the police, they took to social media,” he said. “That’s how we found out about it and, of course, we had to respond.
“Again, if you hear about something or have any concern that something doesn’t seem right, please call us – call the police department, please don’t just go on social media.”
Neighborhood Roll Calls help connect with residents
The department continued its Neighborhood Roll Calls over the summer, when officers hold their “change of shift” meetings out in various locations throughout town.
“We’ve had as many as 40 to 50 people come out for some of the Roll Calls,” Ruth said. “We have received good feedback about them. The meetings advance and reinvigorate a sense of community, hearing people talk, getting to know each other. The feedback from our officers is that they feel very fortunate to meet residents and talk to them face-to-face.”
Other programs start up for fall
- The Citizens Police Academy is already underway for a new session.
- The Youth Explorer program is always seeking new members.
- Active shooter drills have been held at the hospital and will continue at some of the District 205 public schools.
- Speed trailers – those marquee-like signs that show drivers their current rate of speed – have been very successful at reducing the number of speeding tickets that have been issued. Ruth said the City was expecting to get two or three more of the devices before the end of the year.
- The police ATV has been in use for two years now with great success, Ruth said. It’s especially good because the ATV can go places a squad car cannot, such as along the Prairie Path. It’s been useful for policing community events like parades and outdoor concerts.
