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Campton Hills police report 228 calls in December; chief warns of rising identity-theft scams
Summary
Police Chief James Lavan presented the department's December report showing 228 calls for service, 16 accidents, 64 citations and two arrests; he urged residents to be vigilant against identity theft and announced an emergency preparedness class and a new crime-prevention officer.
Police Chief James Lavan presented the Village of Campton Hills Police Department monthly report at the Jan. 21 board meeting, summarizing December activity and several department initiatives.
The December report listed 228 calls for service, 16 accidents, 64 citations (the report initially omitted municipal ordinance citations), and two arrests. Chief Lavan also described a recent squad-car collision with a deer that caused approximately $6,000 in damage, with a $500 deductible.
Lavan warned of an increase in deception and identity-theft cases affecting residents. He said fraudulent schemes have led to large losses in some cases and urged particular caution during tax season: "If someone is offering you something that is too good to be true, including free money, it is too good to be true," he said, and added that requests for prepaid cards are a common fraud red flag.
The chief announced that Officer Stravula has taken over duties as the department's crime-prevention officer and will work with schools and the community relations committee. He also said the department will host an emergency-preparedness class at Village Hall on Jan. 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; the class is limited to about 30 participants and was organized with Kane County Office of Emergency Management.
Lavan suggested the board consider a block-party application process to track events and provide emergency contact information, saying many municipalities require simple notification even when no fees are charged. He also said staff are preparing a citizen survey for distribution to gather community feedback on the police department.
On animal-control matters, the chief said the village used Kane County Animal Control six times last year (mostly wildlife calls) and that most lost pets are reunited with owners via social media and station intake, which has limited outside billing for animal-control calls.
No formal police-department actions or funding requests were taken at the meeting; the department's 2024 annual report was expected to be distributed before the next board meeting.
