Investigations

The Investigations Division is supervised by a Detective Commander and is made up of 6 Investigators, 2 School Resource Officers, 1 Narcotics Officer assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 1 Crime Analysis Assistant, and an Evidence Custodian. Elmhurst Detectives are trained, experienced investigators who specialize in crimes such as burglary, robbery, assault/battery, auto theft, identity theft, and document crime in addition to investigating deaths in the community. During the course of an investigation, detectives might be called upon to interview witnesses and victims, interrogate suspects, offenders, and/or examine crime scenes for physical evidence with which to identify suspects.

Investigators are assigned to follow up on crimes that were initially reported to the uniformed patrol division. Detectives are subject to call-in 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, and members of the division are also sometimes called upon to work with other local, state, or federal agencies to assist in more serious or complex cases.

In 2018, there were 231 cases assigned for investigation.

School Resource Officers

Elmhurst currently has 2 detectives assigned to liaison with community schools. The primary goal of School Resource Officers is to develop a safe, secure environment within the schools; these officers work collaboratively with administrators, educators, staff and parents to achieve that goal. School Resource Officers are in contact with administrators from three high schools, three middle schools, and the local elementary schools in Elmhurst. School Resource Officers respond to calls for service within the schools and document information that is collected during the course of their duties but also have the ability to conduct criminal investigations. In addition, they are also responsible for planning courses of instruction pertaining to current youth-related issues. By playing the role of coach, teacher and mentor, School Resource Officers not only have a significant impact on our students’ lives but also help foster better community relations between the police department and the residents of Elmhurst.