Gurnee police begin yearlong crime prevention campaign

The village of Gurnee police and administration departments will collaborate on a yearlong crime prevention campaign titled the "Year of Public Safety" to discuss common crimes and prevention strategies with the public.

The campaign, launching this month in the November/December issue of the village's newsletter, "Keeping Posted," will feature traditional print and website articles, as well as videos, infographics and communications through other media to reach and educate the general public on how individual actions can easily avoid or prevent common crimes.

"Gurnee is a very safe community. Much of the credit goes to residents and business owners who partner with us every day as our eyes and ears. We want to take that a step further by regularly sharing simple steps that everyone can take to become safer," said Police Chief Kevin Woodside.

Each month, a new topic will be selected with discussion on some of the statistics around individual crimes, as well as simple tips residents, business owners and the general public can use to help avoid becoming a victim.

The village chose to focus on shopping safely as the kickoff topic in order to coincide with the holiday shopping season. Tips for the article came from both the village's crime prevention unit and the officers of the police department's Visitor-Oriented Policing Unit, which works in concert with businesses with high visitor traffic such as Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America to promote enjoyable and safe experiences.

"Perception is often not reality. We hope to give residents the tools to help better distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to crime and the prevention of crime in our community," said Crime Prevention Specialist Tom Agos.

For more information, visit the village's website at www.gurnee.il.us/yearofpublicsafety.