Berwyn police chief presents comprehensive departmental report to aldermen

Police Chief Michael Somedayman delivered a detailed report to the Berwyn City Council outlining the police department’s organization, recent grants and new programs, and improvements to facilities and technology.

Somedayman told aldermen that “patrol is the backbone of the police agency,” and described the department’s major divisions including patrol, criminal investigations, youth investigations, tactical and task-force assignments, traffic, communications, evidence processing and records. He said patrol is organized into three shifts with three watch commanders and that every officer is equipped with a body camera and trained in crisis intervention.

The report summarized specialized units and partnerships. The department operates three K‑9 teams and participates in mutual‑aid and multiagency task forces, including the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS), Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) hostage/barricade and mobile field force teams, federal task forces (FBI, U.S. Marshals, DEA, ATF, HSI) and regional groups such as the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force and WEDGE (West Suburban Enhanced Drug and Gang Enforcement). Somedayman said participation in federal task forces provides access to additional resources and asset‑forfeiture proceeds that can be used for vehicles, equipment and training.

He described school resource officer (SRO) coverage as five officers total: three assigned to Morton West High School and two covering middle schools; the SRO program includes gang awareness training (GATE). The department also runs a Police Explorer program for ages 14–20 and maintains an auxiliary police contingent of about 65 non‑sworn volunteers who assist at events, transport detainees and help with crowd control.

Somedayman reviewed training and community engagement programs, listing annual and mandated training blocks covering crisis intervention, trauma‑informed response, firearms, procedural justice and other topics, plus monthly online training. The community relations unit conducts crime‑prevention education and neighborhood engagement activities; the department maintains an honor guard and a therapy dog that visits schools and hospitals.

On technology, Somedayman said the department adopted a cloud‑based CAD and records management system (Mark43) and implemented a Flock license‑plate reader (LPR) camera network of roughly 20 cameras around the city. He said the LPR system has produced leads in several investigations, including a homicide on Roosevelt Road. The department also offers online reporting for certain incidents and a voluntary video‑sharing program in which residents may register home cameras for police access.

The chief reported the department received $1,063,668.35 in grants last year, funding items such as bulletproof vest replacements, traffic enforcement (seat‑belt and DUI enforcement), retail‑theft prevention cameras, tobacco compliance checks and the social‑worker initiative.

Council members asked follow‑up questions about how programs are staffed and funded, including the SRO certifications, allocation of grant funds and the staffing impact from increased workload tied to body‑camera footage management. Somedayman said body cameras have increased requests for video review and redaction, which requires staff time.

The council accepted the report and the chief said the document would be posted online the next day.

Less critical details: Somedayman said the department provides booking for neighboring villages under intergovernmental agreements, runs a communications unit of 19 telecommunicators and continues to develop a dispatch center expansion tied to consolidation conversations with other agencies.