parkforestpolice

There will be a Memorial Day Ceremony beginning at 11:30 AM next Monday, May 27th on the Village Green in Downtown Park Forest. The ceremony will last around 30 to 45 minutes and if you might need seating accommodations, please remember to bring a portable/collapsible chair.

The Park Forest Memorial Day Ceremony is traditionally carried out by the good work of the Park Forest American Legion with some assistance from the Village of Park Forest. To learn more about the Park Forest American Legion, visit their location at 1631 Western Avenue in Chicago Heights, call them at 481-3055 or check them out (and like them!) on Facebook.

Due to the construction on Orchard Blvd., the annual 4th of July Fireworks display and activities will not be held at Central Park as in previous years.   Instead, the fireworks display will be launched from the area northeast of Rich East High School for 2012 only.

The public may still view the fireworks display from Central Park, if they choose, however they are also encouraged to view the fireworks from the primary viewing site at the Village Green in Downtown Park Forest at Main Street, where free concerts and other activities will be taking place.  Parking will be available at the Village Hall parking lot and in the West Plaza parking lot, as well as Central Park and the library parking lot.  Please remember that Walgreens parking is for customers only. 

It should be noted that their will be no parking at the Sauk Trail lot of Rich East High School, and there will be no viewing available on Rich East High School property due to the proximity to the launch site of the fireworks.  The Westwood Parking lot of Rich East High School, which has limited parking, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.  All parking rules will still be in force, however, in all parking lots and on public streets.

Expect traffic delays and remember that Orchard Blvd is northbound only traffic from Lakewood to Lincoln Hwy /RT30.  Due to the construction, there will be no parade this year.

Also, please leave the fireworks to the professionals.  All fireworks, including sparklers, are banned by village ordinance.  We hope you have a safe and happy 4th of July and look forward to being present to help make the event an enjoyable experience for our residents and guests.

Park Forest Police Officers will be participating in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois on Wednesday, June 13th.  Officers will receive the torch from the Richton Park Police Department runners at Sauk Trail and Main Street/Central Park around 9 A.M., and will proceed down Sauk Trail, Lakewood Blvd., through downtown Park Forest, and north on Western Ave. where they will hand the torch off to the Olympia Fields Police Department runners at Lincoln Highway.  The Park Forest Police Department’s portion of the run is approximately 3 miles in length.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics serves to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Illinois.   Businesses or individuals wishing to support the Park Forest Police Department runners may make donations to Special Olympics Illinois on behalf of the Park Forest Police Department.  If you would like to support Special Olympics Illinois, you can donate to receive a Torch Run t-shirt ($15), Torch Run ball cap ($10), or Torch Run pin ($5).  Contact Corporal Scott Sheets at (708) 748-9536 for more information.

PAAC is a police sponsored activity program that offers sports, creative activities, field trips, and leadership developement for Park Forest residents ages 10 to 15 years old.  The program runs Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm between June 18th and July 26th at Rich East High School, and is run by police officers and other trained adult staff.

Registration is open until June 11th, and costs $30 per person.  The cost of registration, in addition to PAAC membership, includes a camp t-shirt and a voucher valid for one week at the Park Forest Aqua Center.

Call Corporal Scott Sheets at 708-748-9536 or stop by the Park Forest Police Department for more information.

The Park Forest Police Department needs your help in getting unwanted guns out of the hands of wrongdoers by reducing the number of firearms in circulation.  The Village of Park Forest will be participating in the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police Gun Buy Back Program scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 2012.

The South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police, (SSACOP) supports the United States Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.  Because so many of our youths have been the victim of handgun violence, we are offering a program for citizens in the SSACOP area to dispose of unwanted guns.

Unwanted firearms are a potential hazard in any home.   Unwanted firearms can be stolen, used in an accidental shooting or a suicide.  When guns are used in criminal attacks, the outcomes are often irreversible and fatal.  Guns are often used in the south suburbs to settle disputes.  Settling disputes with guns can have a devastating impact on communities and innocent victims.

The access and availability of firearms is associated with an increased risk of suicide in the home. One study concluded that a household is five times as likely to have a suicide in that home if there is a gun in the home.  Overall, guns kept in the home were 22 times more likely to be used in accidental shootings, murder or assault, and suicide attempts, than in an act of self-defense, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence.

SSACOP is sponsoring a gun buyback program where residents living in SSACOP towns only will be given $50 cash for each firearm turned in, which includes rifles, shotguns and handguns. Each of these weapons will be destroyed.

The buy back will be held from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., on Saturday, June 23, 2012, at the following locations:

Calumet City P.D., 1200 Pulaski Road,Calumet City,Illinois, 60409 *708-868-2500

Lemont P.D., 14600 W. 127^th Street, Lemont,Illinois, 60439 *630-257-2229

Western Springs P.D., 740 Hillgrove,Western Springs,Illinois,60558* 708-246-8540

Chicago Heights P.D., 1601 S. Halsted, Chicago Heights, Illinois, 60411 *708-756-6400

Riverdale P.D., 725 W. 138^th Street, Riverdale,Illinois, 60827 *708-841-2203

Orland Park P.D., 15700 S. Ravinia, Orland Park,Illinois, 60462 *708-349-4111

MidlothianP.D.,14801 S. Pulaski Road,Midlothian,Illinois60445* 708-389-0200

Dolton P.D. 14014 Park Avenue, Dolton,Illinois, 60419* 708-841-2145

The Park Forest Police Department is proud to announce this year’s Officer of the Year nominees as Officer Lee Elliot, K9 Officer Paul Shulman, and Detective Kris Vallow. 

Officer of the Year nominations can be made by any police department employee, and nominations are narrowed down to three nominees by the Awards Board.  Each member of the police department may then vote for their choice of the nominees. 

The 2011 Officer of the Year will be named at the annual Honors Ceremony on November 20, 2011 at noon at Freedom Hall.  This full dress uniform event is open to the public.  In addition to the Officer of the Year being named, the Term Award for each of the four terms in 2011 will be awarded, as will other awards and honors earned by members of the Park Forest Police Department throughout 2011.  Citizen awards earned will also be awarded, as will awards to officers from outside agencies who have been instrumental to the Park Forest Police Department throughout 2011. 

Please feel free to attend the annual Honors Ceremony on November 20th and help celebrate the accomplishments of the men and women of the Park Forest Police Department throughout 2011.  The even takes approximately 1 1/2 hours.  A luncheon will be hosted following the ceremony at Dining on the Green.

On Monday, October 31st the Park Forest Police Department, in partnership with the Community Relations Department, will hold the annual Safe Halloween festivities in Downtown Park Forest from 3 to 6 p.m. There will be a Haunted Maze with Spooktacular stops along the way, goodies, and a costume contest at 300 Victory Blvd., and downtown businesses will be handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

For more information, or if you have questions, call 708-283-5621.

Trick or treating hours in Park Forest this year are from 3 to 6 p.m.

Please make sure trick-or-treaters use cross-walks when crossing the street, have costumes that do not obstruct their vision, and have flashlights or reflective material if trick-or-treating as dark approaches.  If you plan on handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, please put your porch light on.  And please be extra cautious for little ghouls and goblins crossing the street if you’re driving about Park Forest on Halloween!

The Park Forest Police-Fire Charity Softball Game was postponed due to heavy rain which flooded the Central Park ball fields. 

The date for the charity game has been set for Saturday, September 17th. 

There will be a home run hitting contest open to the public from 5pm to 6pm.  $2 for 3 pitches, each home run will result in a raffle ticket for one of three great prizes from the Chicago White Sox, the Windy City Thunderbolts, and Deep River Water Park.

The charity softball game begins at 6pm, with the police and fire departments facing off.  Admission is free.   

There will be free face painting, jump houses, and Wii games for the kids.  Additionally, there is a cash raffle with a $1,000 first prize, $500 second prize, and $250 third and fourth prizes.  Tickets are $5.  There will also be $1 raffles for a wide variety of prizes.  Your public safety departments are proud to be splitting all money raised between the Illinois chapter of Concerns for Police Survivors and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Burn Camp. 

Spend the day at the Park Forest Art Fair in Downtown Park Forest on Saturday, September 17th, and then spend and evening watching your police and fire departments battle in out in Central Park for the Charity Softball Game Champion’s trophy!

The 2011 Police-Fire Charity Softball Game has been cancelled due to weather. The  Parks and Recreation Department determined that the field was unplayable due to the heavy rain earlier in the day.

A rain date has not yet been set, but will be determined this Monday.