Four DuPage townships expected to keep extra patrols

A long-standing arrangement for the DuPage County sheriff's office to provide extra patrols in four townships is expected to continue unchanged.

The DuPage County Board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on separate contracts with Bloomingdale, Milton, York and Wayne townships to keep special policing districts that have been in place since the 1980s. The board's judicial and public safety committee has recommended approval of the one-year pacts.

If approved by the full county board, the four townships will continue to have extra sheriff's deputies patrol their unincorporated neighborhoods through March 31, 2020.

"It's great for community policing," Sheriff James Mendrick said. "It's great for emergencies. It's a win-win."

As part of the deal, the townships are required to pay 80 percent of the six extra deputies' salaries and benefits. Combined, the four townships would pay more than $734,000 of the program's annual cost.

County board member Jim Zay said the each township has a separate tax levy to pay for the deputies.

Zay said the deputies work well with their assigned townships.

"They're a good asset there," he said. "A lot of it is public relations, but they do a good job."

Milton is scheduled to pay $367,468 to have three extra sheriff's deputies assigned to its unincorporated neighborhoods.

Bloomingdale, York and Wayne townships each are scheduled to pay $122,489 to have one additional deputy.

Mendrick said deputies must apply to be assigned to a township. They also are interviewed by township officials.

"We take the township's input and make sure it's a match for them," he said.