Prospect Hts. opens police substation on east side

Prospect Heights has opened a police substation in the Piper Lane area to serve the diverse Latino and Eastern European residents in multifamily housing complexes on the east side as well as the city’s new Tourism District along Milwaukee Avenue, city officials announced.

This contrasts with times not so long ago when budget issues meant the city’s main police station was never open to the public.

The station in the city’s Public Works building, 401 Piper Lane, will be staffed only intermittently, said Chief Jamie Dunne. A resident who wants to meet with an officer there will use a call box to contact the main station. This is similar to the system used at the central station after regular business hours.

“Our priority is the safety of the residents in this city and the opening of this substation along with an increased police presence will serve to reduce crime and positively impact the quality of life in the Piper Lane area,” said Dunne.

Officers will use the renovated office to meet with residents and write reports, said Dunne. Social workers can also use the space, and Dunne himself will meet there with owners of apartment buildings or businesses.

Dunne said the city’s goal is to improve the lives and safety of people in the area and make them more comfortable working with officers while giving police more visibility. The city also plans to install video cameras in apartment complexes in the area to combat gang activity.