How Mount Prospect candidates would address crime

Hiring more police officers, boosting neighborhood watch programs, adding police social workers and buying license plate readers are among the ideas Mount Prospect village board candidates have for combating crime.

Four candidates are running for three trustee seats in the April 4 election. They include an incumbent, two former trustees and an Elk Grove Township trustee.

The village has seen an uptick in gang-related crime recently, particularly in the Boxwood neighborhood near Randhurst Village. Concerns ran so high that residents packed the gym at Euclid Elementary School last month for a meeting hosted by police.

Incumbent Colleen Saccotelli said she supports plans to increase police staffing.

"As a trustee, our role is to support the police department and give them the resources that they need to address the crime," she said.

She also favors the police social worker program, saying those staff members are important when de-escalation is needed.

Former Trustee Eleni Hatzis said she supports neighborhood watch programs.

"I feel that there's a lot we can do as a community," she said, recalling the neighborhood watch programs when she was growing up in the village. She said her father, who was employed by the Cook County sheriff's office, encouraged awareness and communication among neighbors.

Police social workers also are needed, particularly in situations involving people with multiple police interactions, Hatzis said.

Former Trustee William Grossi said he supports hiring more officers. Grossi, a member of the village board's finance commission, said the panel has been asked to review the hiring of two more officers.

"I firmly and fully support that," he said.

Grossi said he also has asked whether the village can use the emergency response system for crime alerts and suggested investing in license plate readers.

Elk Grove Township Trustee Vince Dante said he also supports neighborhood watch programs.

"That ability to work with the police department gives the community an idea, not just from the standpoint that they know how to report crime quickly, but it also gives them a bond with the police department," he said.

Dante also touted the village's CityProtect.com service, which provides the public with crime maps and automated alerts.