Round Lake Beach is Governor's Home Town Award winner

A community effort to reduce crime in Round Lake Beach has earned the village this year's Governor's Home Town Award, officials announced this week.

Nearly 50 volunteers partnered with the Round Lake Beach Police Department by forming "Community Action Teams" with the hope of reducing gang activity in the town of 26,000 residents.

"It's outstanding. It's really more of an award for the volunteers who made this happen," said Round Lake Beach Village Administrator Dave Kilbane. "The village is being recognized for their efforts to make the community a better place to live."

Under the leadership of former police chief Douglas Larsson, teams of people came together with a mission of assisting the police in reducing gang activity particularly in the 200-unit Meadow Green townhouse complex. Larsson has since taken the job as police chief in Wauconda.

"The cry for interaction and the need for intelligence and extra 'eyes' were the stimulus for the CAT's creation," Larsson wrote in the award application. "Crimes of graffiti and other gang related crimes were rising. The police department was able to work with small groups of residents to keep them informed."

In addition to keeping their eyes open for criminal activity, CAT members worked to pick up trash, improve landscaping, install a decorative fence and clean playgrounds. The CAT group also convinced ComEd to increase the number of light poles around the complex.

Larsson said those efforts have a direct impact on reducing crime.

"The additional street lighting was a big deal," Larsson said. "Fighting crime is more than making arrests. It's about eliminating hiding places for criminals and beautifying the place at the same time."

Larsson said the results of the groups efforts are tangible.

"The Meadow Green townhome residents now enjoy a cleaner, safer environment," Larsson said. "Better reporting of crimes and incidents has resulted in a higher occupancy of rented units, self-policing of the streets by the neighbors, and a sense of community."

The village is in the running for this year's Governor's Cup Award, which honors the best of the best in the annual Home Town Awards.

That choice will be made during a Springfield reception Oct. 29.