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Hampton Hills police highlight rising calls, vehicle maintenance costs and SRO pilot
Summary
Police chief reported a sharp rise in calls, aging patrol vehicles and growing maintenance costs, and highlighted a successful pilot school resource officer program; trustees discussed replacement funding as development increases.
The Hampton Hills Police Department reported high call volume and rising vehicle-maintenance costs in its January monthly briefing to the village board.
Police Chief Levand (as identified in the meeting) told trustees the department logged 5,061 calls for service last year, with January figures including 633 calls, 12 accidents, 125 citations and one arrest in the monthly report. Chief Levand said the department’s four-vehicle fleet is heavily used, with two cars out on many shifts, two vehicles often assigned to patrol and several squads sidelined for maintenance. He warned that as annexations and development increase, the current fleet and staffing levels would be strained without a replacement program.
Chief Levand gave specific maintenance-cost examples: roughly $12,000–$15,000 annually for oil changes and a similar range for tires, and about $22,000 per year on brakes, and said idle time and heavy on/off duty cycles accelerate wear. He urged continuation and expansion of a vehicle-replacement plan in next year’s budget.
The chief also described the school resource officer pilot led by Derek Bahn at the grade-school level, calling it ‘‘a massive success’’ and crediting close community ties and reduced travel for officers. Chief Levand credited detective Oberth with securing donated furnishings for a redesigned soft interview room used to interview victims in a less formal setting.
Trustees asked follow-up questions about vehicle-mile projections and long-term fleet needs; the chief and trustees agreed the department can sustain current operations short-term but will need additional vehicles and possible staffing increases as development proceeds.
