Mount Prospect police ready to welcome back traffic unit after 15 years

After a 15-year absence, the Mount Prospect police department will reinstate its traffic enforcement unit this year.

The unit operated from 2006 to 2010 before falling victim to budget cuts during the Great Recession.

Police Chief Michael Eterno said the reinstatement will happen in phases, with the first traffic officer likely deploying in May and a second joining possibly later in the summer.

By 2027, the unit could expand to four, which was the level in 2010, if the demand warrants.

“The traffic unit is going to concentrate on citizen complaints regarding traffic in the residential neighborhoods and the major thoroughfares,” Eterno said. “It's also going to be proactive in the sense that it's going to track down aggressive driving and reckless driving.”

With 88 sworn officers, the department conducted about 13,000 traffic stops in 2025, though patrol officers must balance traffic enforcement with emergency responses.

“911 calls will always take precedence, as they should,” Eterno said. “As a result, we weren't able to enforce the traffic nearly as much as we used to do previously.”

The unit will focus on morning and afternoon rush hours and target speeders, stop sign violations and dangerous driving near schools. Officers will use unmarked vehicles, repurposed patrol cars with spotlights and municipal plates.

“It's to help our residents out, to address their concerns and make sure they're being adequately taken care of and addressed and responded to in a proper and timely manner,” Eterno said.