Roscoe Cuts Crime Prevention Programs to Free Up Officers

Less than a week after the Roscoe Board of Trustees shoots down a plan to boost its Police Department.

The Village Public Safety Committee says the Police Department will have to cut down on crime prevention programs.

Roscoe will cut its D.A.R.E program, bike patrols, and neighborhood watches.

Not to save money, but to free up an officer and get them out on the streets.

"I'm the one that instituted neighborhood watch in this town, so I obviously don't want to give it up."

Roscoe Police Chief Jamie Evans credits her neighborhood watch program for helping cut crime in Roscoe by 31 percent.

"I'd like to dedicate an officer to the neighborhood watch, but that takes all 24, 25 hours a week, when I could put him on the road."

The Roscoe Public Safety Committee says it will scrap crime prevention services like neighborhood watch to free up an officer for patrol duty. The department is short staffed by four officers and often only has one officer patrolling during the day. But the trustee's voted against hiring a new officer. Fearing the long term pension liability that officer represents. A decision that upsets some residents.

"I would feel safer yes, my neighborhood alone in the last week has been the target of vandalism."

Mary Harbut has lived in Roscoe for the last 11 years. She wants the trustees to change their minds and help their police chief.

"I think she could do a fantastic job if she had police offers to put out on patrol."

But Village President Dave Krienke won't bring the proposal back to the table unless some trustees change their minds. And he says they're weighing the wrong options.

"Number one issue when you're elected is public safety of your residents, and so that is the most important thing that we are dealing with."