Hanover Park earns Safe Community recognition

Hanover Park has become one of only 32 communities in the nation to be accredited as a Safe Community under a 3-year-old program of the National Safety Council.

The village formally received the designation from the Safe Communities America Program at last week's village board meeting.

"We are proud to have accomplished this prestigious accreditation through the efforts of a wide-ranging community coalition," Mayor Rod Craig said in a written statement.

"The Hanover Park Safe Communities America Coalition is comprised of a partnership between many community stakeholder organizations. With the strength of these agencies working together, vital safety-related issues have been addressed and programs put into place that will benefit residents for many years to come."

Under the program, community stakeholders must form a coalition aimed at addressing injury prevention in six major areas - violence and suicide prevention, elder adult falls, emergency preparedness, workplace safety, prescription drug overdose prevention and traffic safety.

Hanover Park's coalition was led by the police department, which implemented programs such as a heroin and opioid prevention initiative.

A partnership with the American Red Cross also enabled the implementation of a free home alarm installation program and an elder falls program was established.

The National Weather Service accredited the village as a StormReady community as a result of the coalition's work.