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Westmont police report: staffing steady, calls up and training hours high, department highlights community outreach
Summary
Trustee Bob Plowman summarized Chief Gruen’s annual report to the Westmont Village Board, noting the department’s staffing levels, a roughly 2,000 increase in calls for service, 5,400 training hours, and several community outreach events including a Special Olympics fundraiser shred day on April 18, 2026.
At the Feb. 5 Westmont Village Board meeting, Trustee Bob Plowman summarized the Westmont Police Department’s annual report from Chief Gruen, highlighting staffing, workload increases and community outreach efforts.
The report introduced Officer Robert Art as the department’s 2025 employee of the year; Plowman said Art’s peers described him as “dedicated, loyal, and reliant.” Plowman provided staffing figures: 41 sworn officers, six civilian staff and five current vacancies.
Deputy Chief Weidler reported the department is up about 2,000 calls for service this year and about 500 traffic stops, which have included 33 DUI arrests. Deputy Chief Thompson said investigative workload included 125 investigations with 69 closed; he noted license plate reader technology played a “huge role” in several successful cases.
Sergeant Radke reported 824 Freedom of Information Act requests, a roughly 122% increase over the previous reporting period. The department also logged about 5,400 training hours in 2025, reported 11 drone-related incidents and cited approximately 84 hours assisting other departments under mutual aid.
The department emphasized community engagement: the Citizen Police Academy, National Night Out and other outreach programs remain active. Plowman said the department’s social-media presence is about 5,000 followers. The first Special Olympics shred event of the year was announced for April 18, 2026, and the Westmont Lions Club Spring Fling schedule is posted on the village website.
No board action was taken on the police report; it was presented for information and community awareness. The department asked residents to refer to the village website for event details and to provide feedback through the Village’s online forms.
Why this matters: the figures on calls, investigations and FOIA requests indicate growing demand on department resources; training and community events were presented as steps the department is taking to maintain service levels and public engagement.
Sources: Trustee Bob Plowman, summarizing the Chief Gruen report presented at the Feb. 5 Westmont Village Board meeting.
