Why Palatine police went back to old-school foot patrols

It was a sweltering Friday night when something caught the eyes of two Palatine police officers as they performed an old-school foot patrol through an apartment complex with a reputation for criminal activity.

They noticed children playing soccer. Instinctively, officers Derek Bahn and Alex Mortensen quickly reached into their pockets for junior Palatine police badges and stickers, which they distributed to the delighted kids in the Baldwin Green complex on the town's northeast side.

"When we're walking around, we try to make contact with as many people as possible," Mortensen said during a brief break. "Especially try to (have) positive contacts. I know kids love to come up to us, which is also a great thing to try to get them to be friendly with us, not afraid of us."

While uncommon in the suburbs, regular weekend evening police foot patrols are becoming a summer staple in two sections of Palatine.

In an attempt to build trust with largely minority and low-income residents, police are in the second year of a revived foot patrol program on the northeast side. The hope is to connect with residents who may be leery of police, which will lead to greater cooperation in fighting neighborhood crime.

Police are in their third summer of walking around downtown bars and restaurants. Authorities say the goal is to provide a greater sense of safety for visitors and workers, as well as being in place to curtail any late-night problems.

Cmdr. Dave Weeks credited the downtown foot patrol for quelling potential disturbances before they become 911 calls.

"We're trying to do a more proactive approach to policing rather than a reactive approach," Weeks said. "I think that all starts with building the relationships between the citizens and the police department."

On their Baldwin Green patrol, Bahn and Mortensen exchanged friendly greetings with many families sitting on their patios during the hot summer evening. The officers strolled their way around the complex, at one point walking past a drainage ditch spray-painted with gang graffiti.

Closer to the apartments, the cops noticed a man on the phone having an argument over money with a cousin. The man flagged down the officers to ask a question and received information about possible options for what was a civil - not criminal - matter.

"That may not have been something that (we'd see) had we just been driving through, he may not have caught our eye," Bahn said. "So we can make contacts like that with the community."

As Bahn and Mortensen kept busy on the northeast side, officer Steve Rago worked his end of the Friday evening two-cop foot patrol downtown. In his third year walking the beat, Rago said he enjoys being out of his police SUV.

"People on my beat, they may need us but I need them, too," he said. "If something happens and if I need some information, just a witness statement, we have that rapport with people and they'll volunteer. It could be anything. A car accident, a dispute, anything at all.

"But that's the whole purpose. We're getting back down to the original format that we (police) came from at the turn of the last century of being present."

His first contact of the evening occurred when he warned a couple and their two young children about being too close to railroad tracks.

Jeremy Morgan, who was with wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Alex, 2, and Sami, 4, said he was surprised by the encounter but appreciative.

"I'm glad he's looking out for the safety of everyone here in town," Morgan said.

Rago carried on to the outdoor dining area of Lamplighter Inn Tavern and Grille, where he got his picture taken holding a blue French bulldog belonging to a woman who recently moved from Southern California to downtown Palatine.

With everything going well at Lamplighter, Rago went across the street and around The Providence condominium and commercial building. At The Providence, he spent a few minutes inside Christie's Dairy Delights and talked to an employee at the neighboring Salon MMM.

At Tap House Grill, he was greeted by bartender Jessica Robinson soon after entering. Robinson said the foot patrols are good for workers heading home in the wee hours and downtown Palatine overall.

"I've bartended out here for nine years and I think that they really add a sense of security," she said. "Just their presence being around, I think it keeps down a lot of the problems that occur when you are in a circle of bars and things of that nature. I like that we can call on them if we're having an issue and they're literally right here."