Community Crime Map provides accessible crime stats regarding criminal activity in the area. For more information, visit the website and select “Schaumburg.” You can also register to receive electronic crime alerts.

To keep your home and family safe from crime, experts agree that the best way to deal with crime in the home is to take every step possible to prevent it from happening. Criminals will almost always look for the easiest possible targets. Follow these tips reduce the likelihood of a break-in at your home.

Home Security Checklist – complete your own home security inspection.

Exterior Doors

• All doors should have deadbolts (1' throw)
• Door between attached garages should have a dead bolt

Windows/Sliding Doors

• Lock windows
• Consider using window locks when windows are open
• Use a charley bar or wood bar on sliding doors to prevent doors from being forced open

Lighting

• Keep some exterior lighting on at night in the front and backyards
• Consider motion lights/fluorescent light bulbs

Garage Doors

• Keep windows in garages locked
• When leaving a garage unattended, even for a few minutes, close the garage door

Landscaping

• Avoid excessive landscaping which allows concealment

Be Wary of Telephone Solicitations

The Village of Schaumburg received complaints from residents and business professionals regarding telephone solicitations of money on behalf of the Village of Schaumburg or one of its Departments. The caller implies or claims some affiliation with the village or its police and fire departments.

• The Village of Schaumburg and Police or Schaumburg Fire Departments are not affiliated in any way with these organizations. The village or any of its departments do not endorse them, nor do we receive funds for assistance from them.

Phone Scams

If you believe you are dealing with a con artist or a solicitor who is misrepresenting themselves, contact the Schaumburg Police Department to report the incident. Dial 311 to report this type of incident or any other non-emergency incident.

There are many organizations that may claim some sort of affiliation with a village department when soliciting citizens and businesses for contributions. These groups may be legitimate but they are all private organizations or associations. Citizens and businesses should be aware that most telephone solicitations are not made by the actual organization itself but are contracted out to a telemarketing company. As their compensation, most of these companies retain over 50% of every dollar donated.

Never allow a solicitor to falsely convince you to donate to any cause by implying or stating that your contribution will somehow benefit the Village of Schaumburg or one of its departments. If you decide to donate money to any organization please follow these simple guidelines:

• Make sure you understand which organization wants your money. Police and fire departments do not solicit money over the telephone, but some unions do.

• Ask for specific information about how your donation will be used.

• Ask where your donation will be used, especially if you prefer your donation to be used locally.

• Ask who you are talking to. Get the name and write it down. If you're called by a person identifying themselves as a member of the police or fire union, don't be fooled into thinking you are talking to a police officer or firefighter.

• Ask the caller if he or she is being paid to make the call. Ask what percentage of your donation the organization will receive.

• Never agree over the phone to donate. Always ask for written information and read the material thoroughly.

• Always donate by check, never with cash.

List of Current Scams

Prevention Tips

• Never let strangers into your home
• Use your caller ID before answering the phone
• Check out a charity before you donate
• Never give personal information such as credit card, checking account or a Social Security number
• Don't send cash by Western Union or prepaid debit/credit card
• Don't accept any prizes/gifts where you have to pay upfront fees
• Do not confirm your account information over the phone or by email

What is the Care Trak Program?

The Care Trak program is a tracking device that assists in locating people with special needs who have a history of wandering from their home. The Care Trak bracelet contains a transmitter with a radio frequency which a person can wear as a wrist or ankle bracelet. Should the person wander, the Schaumburg Police Department can begin the search using a radio tracking system.

How the Program Works

A Crime Prevention Specialist sets an appointment with the client and responsible family member to discuss the program

Family members complete forms and provide a recent photo. A deposit is required which includes costs for the monthly battery change and battery tester

• The transmitter is attached to a bracelet; family is given a battery tester and Daily Transmitter Tester Log

• Batteries for Care Trak are changed monthly. If the battery should fail, family should contact Crime Prevention immediately

• Should the Care Trak client run away or go missing, the family should contact 9-1-1.

• Care Trak-trained personnel will respond using Care Trak tracking equipment to begin the search

For more information about the Care Trak program, contact Lt. Elliot Rose at (847) 348-7043.

Child safety seat inspections are offered on an appointment only basis. A limited number of inspections are available Monday through Friday at either 8 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Inspections will be done for Schaumburg residents only.

If you'd like to schedule an appointment or discuss an alternative to coming into the Police Department or need general information, please contact contact Sandy Golliher at (847) 348-7221 or by email at sgolliher@schaumburg.com. If you schedule by email, you will receive a confirmation email with the date and time of your inspection along with other information.

Effective Jan. 1, 2019, Illinois law will require children under age 2 to be properly secured in a rear-facing child restraint system unless they weigh more than 40 pounds or are more than 40 inches tall. Never install a rear-facing safety seat in front of an active airbag.

Studies show that a minimum of 80% of child seats in motor vehicles are misused. Local inspections reveal misuse to be much higher - closer to 90 to 95%.

This misuse takes many forms:

• Child seat not secure in vehicle
• Child not secure in child seat
• Shoulder straps in wrong slots
• Defective or recalled child seat
• Child facing forward too soon
• Child too big/small for child seat
• Child moved to seat belt too soon

Tragically, many of these seemingly small errors result in serious injuries or fatalities. In addition to installation errors, child seats may have manufacturer recalls which affect the ability to protect your child.

Find the right seat for your child

Why Is It So Difficult?

There are more than 50 plus different child seats on the market. These are in addition to older models which remain in use. Add to this 30 different types of vehicle seat belt systems. One particular vehicle has four different types in the same car. Without knowing the type of seat belt system you have, and how it works, it is almost impossible to make sure your child will be secure. Finally, there are hundreds of vehicle models on the road: cars, SUVs, vans, mini vans, pick-up trucks, etc. No one answer works in every case.

The Schaumburg Police Department has two officers who have completed a 32-hour training class and are nationally certified to inspect child seats and offer advice.

Free Inspections

Child Safety Seat Inspections are done by appointment for Village of Schaumburg residents only. To schedule an appointment, please call Sandy Golliher at (847) 348-7221 or email your requests or questions to sgolliher@schaumburg.com.

Expectant Parent

If you are an expectant parent, please call to schedule your inspection appointment at least one month prior to your due date. This will ensure that your seat is properly installed before you bring the baby home and will avoid making last minute appointments. Please make sure your child seat is already installed in your vehicle prior to making an appointment.

Each seat takes approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to inspect. You will need to bring your vehicle owners manual and the manual for the car seat being inspected.

If you are not a Schaumburg resident and need information on where to have your seat inspected or you would like more information on Child Passenger Safety please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

As part of the Village of Schaumburg's Trespassing Ordinance (131.02 TRESPASS), the Schaumburg Police Department implemented the Village of Schaumburg No Trespass Program. This program, at the request of the property owner, allows a Schaumburg Police Department officer to issue a warning, citation or arrest to any persons trespassing on the victim's private property.

If an officer observes persons loitering on private property and the owner has an active No Trespassing agreement on file at the Schaumburg Police Department, the officer has the authority, based on the situation, to:

• Issue a written warning to the offender to leave the premise
• Issue a local ordinance violation citation
• Arrest the offender

If you are a property owner and would like to participate in the No Trespass Program, please do the following:

1. Complete the No Trespass/Loitering Application annually.
2. Purchase No Trespass/Loitering signs through the village for each entrance. Signs are available from Public Works for $28.00 each.
3. If a compliance ticket hearing or court appearance becomes necessary, a property owner will be contacted and asked if they are able to appear.

For more information, contact Lt. Elliot Rose at (847) 348-7043.

Neighborhood Watch is a program designed to increase the safety and sense of community in neighborhoods by organizing and involving individuals and families in a united crime prevention effort.

Neighborhood Watch participants learn how to:

• Communicate regularly with their neighbors
• Recognize and report suspicious and criminal activity
• Increase home and vehicle security
• Increase personal safety of residents
• Make neighborhoods less attractive to criminals

How is a Neighborhood Watch Group formed?

• Assess neighborhood needs
• Arrange a neighborhood kickoff meeting
• Select a leader(s) or block captain(s)
• Provide a list of participating residents to the Crime Prevention Specialist
• Once a list is received, Crime Prevention will have Neighborhood Watch signs installed. Crime Prevention will also provide crime prevention information and window decals to block captain(s) to distribute

What are Block Captain duties?

• Re-certify your Neighborhood Watch Group by updating your neighborhood list annually. We will advise you when your list needs to be updated. (Neighborhood Watch Group lists are for Neighborhood Watch Groups only).

Other Crime Prevention Options:

• Encourage neighbors to watch out for each other and inform the police immediately of any suspicious activity. Residents know best what is unusual in their neighborhood
• Receive the Crime Prevention Newsletter which is available on our website
• Attend a monthly Chat with the Brass meeting which is held virtually on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. For more police beat information, check out the Police Beat webpage.
• Consider having an annual Neighborhood Watch meeting and invite police personnel

Project Help

Project Help is a community-wide effort that assists the police in identifying and returning home those persons who become injured, lost, and/or separated from their family/caregiver due to a disoriented state caused by cognitive impairment.

Cognitive impairments often seen by police officers include Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, or Developmental Delay.

Because of the inability of those with cognitive impairments to direct officers to a caregiver, it can often take hours for officers to find a family member or friend to bring the resident home. This lengthy investigative process may cause undue anguish upon the individual and families involved. Project Help seeks to diminish this anguish by giving caregivers, families and friends the opportunity to place their loved one's identifying information, along with a photograph, in a log book at the Police Department. The information is confidential and for police use only.

This information can then be accessed by officers who come upon persons who have become disoriented to place and identity. Once the officers have located the information sheet on the citizen they are assisting, a caretaker can be contacted immediately and a long, anxious wait at the Police Department can be averted.

For additional information, and to register for the program, contact Lt. Elliot Rose at (847) 348-7043.