Streamwood police launch monthly beat meetings

Streamwood residents can now meet one-on-one with the police officers who patrol the area they live in.

The police department launched a new beat meeting program earlier this month and Commander Randy Hart said so far, the department has received positive feedback.

“We were pleasantly surprised. They were very well-attended,” he said, adding that a total of about 140 people showed up to four beat meetings in May.

The village is divided into four distinct geographic areas, called beats, for patrol officers.

Beat 1 is in the southeast corner of the village, spanning west to Park Boulevard and north to Woodland Heights Boulevard. Beat 2 is in the southwest corner, north to Streamwood Boulevard and east to Park Boulevard. Beat 3 is in the northeast corner, with borders at Park Boulevard to the west and Woodland Heights Boulevard to the south. Beat 4 is in the northwest corner, with borders at Park Boulevard to the east and Streamwood Boulevard to the south.

The meetings are being held at 7 p.m. in the police department training room, 401 E. Irving Park Road, on select dates each month. In June, the meeting dates are Tuesday, June 18, for Beat 1; Thursday, June 13, for Beat 2; Tuesday, June 25, for Beat 3; and Wednesday, June 19, for Beat 4.

Although the village has about 14 active neighborhood watch programs, the department wanted to reach out to residents who live outside of those neighborhoods.

“They’re going to hear a lot about safety information and crime trends,” Hart said.

Officers will be emphasizing when to call 911, as many residents are worried they’ll be bothering the police if they report something suspicious. They’ll also cover topics like preventing burglaries and identity theft.

Hart said in addition, the meetings will provide residents a way to inform the department if they feel they are not getting the police response they need.

“They’ll actually get to know the patrol sergeant,” Hart said.

For information on the meetings or to locate the patrol sergeant in a beat area, visit streamwood.org.