Police enhance staffing, technology of task force

Originally published Jan. 15, 1993

Palatine police are calling in reinforcements and state-of-the-art computer technology to help them solve the baffling murders of seven restaurant workers.

The size of the police task force working on the case swelled Thursday to more than 60 officers, analysts and support staff with the addition of FBI agents and officers from a handful of other suburban police departments, Palatine DepuU Police Chief Walt Castor said.

The growing task force on Thursday also nearly completed its move to a new. larger command post in the former headquarters of Palatine Elementary District 15.

The manpower provided by the regional task force is needed to analyse and investigate an imposing number of leads and tips that Gasior said has topped 1,150 since the weekend killings.

"It's an indicator of the seriousness of the crime," Gasior said of the task force.

A 10-member FBI computer unit, called the Rapid Start Team, has joined the task force and will use a computerized filing system to record and cross-reference tips and other investigative leads police are pursuing.

Other FBI agents also involved are attempting to draft psychological profiles of the killer or killers, Gasior said.

Besides Palatine investigators and FBI agents, the task force includes personnel from the Illinois State Police, Cook County sheriff's office. Cook County state's attorney's office, Chicago police and at least six suburban departments.

The extra outside help is not expected to cost Palatine, each agency assigning personnel to the task force pays the salaries of its officers.

"We're not paying the salary of those assisting," Gasior said.