INVESTIGATIONS
You may use this form
below to anonymously report any information to our Detective
Unit. Your information will be kept completely confidential and
will be forwarded directly to Deputy Chief Greg Vesta.
The Wood Dale
Police Department's Investigations Division is primarily charged with
the responsibility of investigating all criminal incidents reported to
the Police Department. The unit consists of one Deputy Chief, five
Detectives and one Patrol Officer. One of the five Detectives is
assigned to the DuPage County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the
Patrol Officer provides plain clothes enforcement services as a School
Liaison Officer assigned to Fenton High School.
On a daily
basis, The Deputy Chief reviews all criminal incidents reported to the
Police Department. Utilizing a crime analysis report, the reports are
screened for solvability factors in order to determine if they merit
assignment to an investigator for follow-up. Not all cases reported to
the police Department are actually assigned to an investigator. Examples
might include minor thefts or acts of vandalism for which there are no
witnesses or suspects. Additionally, if the victim does not wish to
prosecute, the case may not be investigated. Following assignment to an
investigator, cases are actually worked based upon the seriousness of
the offense. Typically, crimes committed against persons receive the
highest priority.
The
Investigations Division also makes a significant contribution to the
prevention of crime. This is done by analyzing crime data, gathering
intelligence information and discerning patterns of criminal activity.
When data and patterns of criminal activity yield enough information,
the Investigations Division may conduct surveillances, execute search
warrants, conduct sting operations or initiate a task force to address
ongoing criminal activity.
In addition
to the daily task of investigating criminal activity, the Investigations
Division performs a variety of other tasks throughout the year to assist
the Police Department and help City of Wood Dale maintain a high quality
of services to residents, business owners and visitors. These activities
include background investigations of police officer applicants,
registration and tracking of convicted sex offenders, alcohol and
tobacco compliance checks and coordination of peer jury system for
juveniles.
Major Crime Task
Force
(MCTF)
The Wood Dale
Police Department is an active member of the DuPage County Chiefs of
Police Major Crime Task Force, or MCTF, and was one of the first police
departments involved with the development of the task force concept.
MCTF was first formed in the late 1998 to promote countywide public
safety and enhance the ability of all law enforcement agencies in DuPage
County to solve major crimes through resource sharing, partnership
building and joint cooperation, consistent training and application of
investigative and enforcement methodology. The purpose of the MCTF is to
provide member agencies with highly competent and comprehensive
investigative, crime scene, evidence collection, analysis and technical
assistance relative to incidents of major crimes. Today, MCTF consists
of 20 law enforcement agencies from Federal, State and Local Police
Agencies, and the DuPage County States Attorneys Office. MCTF allows all
of the member agencies to share equipment, personnel, and resources as
needed for major crime investigations or significant events.
The Wood Dale
Police Department currently has two Detectives and a Deputy Chief
assigned to the MCTF.
Internet Child
Exploitation Task Force
In 1998, the
Wood Dale Police Department entered into an agreement with the Illinois
Attorney General's Office to combat the exploding use of the Internet to
exploit our children. The Wood Dale Police Department has assigned one
Detective who has been trained in the complex techniques of identifying
pedophiles and child sex offenders who use the Internet to victimize our
children. Pedophiles and child sex offenders now use the anonymity of
the computer in an attempt to mask their identity. The task force is
made up of over 50 Federal, State and Local Enforcement agencies from
throughout Illinois. With this partnership it has been proven invaluable
in terms of protecting our children, arresting offenders, and educating
the public in regards of Internet safety.
DuPage County
Fire Investigation Task Force (DCFITF)
The Wood Dale
Police Department is a participant in the DuPage County Fire
Investigation Task Force (DCFITF). The DCFITF was started in 1999. The
task force is a joint operation made up of representatives of law
enforcement and fires agencies in DuPage County, as well as the
Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the
Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office, the DuPage County States
Attorney's Office and the private sector's National Insurance Crime
Bureau. Members of the DCFITF participate in monthly meeting and
training sessions that are sanctioned by a governing board to enhance
the ability of solving arsons in DuPage County. The development of the
task force provides a more aggressive investigative approach during the
suppression stage of a fire in order to solve, and increase successful
prosecution. The task force is not called out for every fire, though the
task force members generally attend the more significant ones, in other
words, the fires that are more difficult to solve. Even so, the task
force solves 40% of its cases.
DuPage
Metropolitan Enforcement Group (DuMeg)
The DuPage
Metropolitan Enforcement Group is a countywide drug task force operating
under the direction of the Illinois State Police. All police departments
in DuPage County contribute either manpower or financial assistance to
the agency. DuMeg was formed in the 1980's to address the emerging drug
problem in DuPage County, and in recognition of the fact that drug
dealers often crossed into several jurisdiction while carrying out their
criminal enterprise.
Typically,
DuMeg targets large drug dealers through intelligence and long term
investigations. Experience has proven that a task force with statewide
arrest powers better handles such investigations. The Wood Dale Police
Department assigns one detective to the unit and his salary and other
cost are reimbursed back to the City of Wood Dale. Other personnel in
investigations offer support and as cases dictate perform temporary duty
assignments to the unit.
School Liaison
Officer
The School
Liaison Officer is assigned to School District 100 at Fenton High
School. The position is paid for by School District 100. The liaison officer has received training
and certification in many areas to qualify her to work with juveniles,
such as being a state certified juvenile specialist and Nationally
Certified School Resource Officer. In addition to her duties at the
school, the liaison officer is responsible for other investigative
duties including follow up of juvenile cases during the school year.
The school
liaison officer has many duties at the school and plays a crucial role
in developing positive relationships with the youth in our community.
Some of the regular duties include: answering law related questions for
faculty and students, being available to counsel and direct students and
parents about family issues, assist the school deans with various
discipline problems and handle all police related incidents that occur
at the school. She also sits on several school committees and groups
such as: Student Assistance Team, Character Counts, and School Crisis
Response Team. She attends many of the after school events such as teen
dances, homecoming events, all home football and basketball games.
The School
Liaison Officer is a vital link between the School, Student and the
Police Department. This interaction assists the department in gathering
important information from students on current trends and events, and
keeping the Wood Dale Police Department up to date on events in our
schools.
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