Crime down in Hanover Park, countering image

A staffing crisis, cramped police station and community backlash from two high-profile homicides can't curb an ongoing trend: Hanover Park is getting safer.

In 2008, crime in the village dropped to its lowest level since statistics were first tracked in 1974.

Chief Ron Moser attributes the improvement to a gradual shift in how the department's limited resources are allocated.

"We are an intelligence-driven police department, which isn't widely used," Moser said. "We rely a great deal on data collection, trends and concentrating on hot spots of activity."

In 2008, there were 656 reported Part 1 crimes in Hanover Park, down from 704 the year earlier. Part 1 crime is an FBI bench mark covering murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. The biggest decline was in robberies, which fell 32 percent.

The 2008 crime rate was 1,714 crimes per 100,000 people. Most towns are still compiling last year's data, but 2007 figures show neighbors including Hoffman Estates (1,863), Schaumburg (4,207) and Streamwood (2,523) with higher rates.

"It was a matter of shifting priorities," Moser said. "To address issues, we decided to get away from traffic-related functions."

Budget restraints have forced the department to do away with its drug education program and crime prevention unit.

Instead, one new strategy emphasized curfew enforcement. Youth out after hours don't just get a warning; they get escorted to the station and cited, said Deputy Chief David Webb. And now more field officers get out of their squad cars and walk business districts, schools and problem neighborhoods. The investigations division was restructured, resulting in more comprehensive follow-up to crimes.

Moser lauded his department for its response to two homicides that occurred within a week of each other in November. Suspects in each case were quickly arrested and have been charged with murder.

The community outcry from the murders led Mayor Rod Craig to form a crime prevention advisory team of local law enforcement, clergy, school officials and other leaders including U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam and state Rep. Fred Crespo. The group met Wednesday to brainstorm different programs that would address what Crespo called "social illnesses."

Last February, Moser asked the village board for an additional nine to 19 officers to "adequately" staff the force. Findings from a police manpower study showed Hanover Park averages just 1.36 officers per 1,000 residents - the lowest ratio of surveyed towns in Cook and DuPage counties.

Officials estimate it would cost $105,000 to employ one officer for a year and haven't carved out room in the budget for more than a couple of new hires. As a result, the staff remains unchanged at 52 sworn officers.

The steady decline of crime in Hanover Park follows a statewide trend. The crime rate in Illinois fell nearly 4 percent in 2007 from the year before to 3,554 per 100,000 people.