Collaborative Crisis Services Unit

The Collaborative Crisis Services Unit (CCSU) is responsible for conducting follow-up visits for individuals who could benefit from mental or behavioral health services. CCSU utilizes community resources, including the Elgin Police Department’s own Social Services Unit, to connect individuals with appropriate services. This, in turn, may also reduce patrol calls for service. CCSU has three primary areas of focus: mental and behavioral health, substance use disorder services, and homelessness issues.

The primary model used by CCSU is a co-response model, which pairs a police officer with a mental health professional. CCSU currently has five officers and four mental health professionals.

EPD’s Collaborative Crisis Services Unit (CCSU), Crisis Negotiations Unit (CNU) and Emergency Services Detail (ESD) work together to respond to mental health related calls for service.

The collaborative response allows officers and mental health professionals to exercise tactics that result in peaceful resolutions, while also providing follow up check ins with individuals to ensure long-term mental health needs are being addressed and they are connected to the right resources.

Crime Free Housing Unit

The Crime Free Housing Unit partners with property owners, managers, tenants, and neighbors of rental properties to monitor crime and nuisance complaints in Elgin’s rental housing community. Weekly follow-ups are conducted on multi-week calls for service, and barred lists are continuously updated. Department officers showed up over 700 times to community events and engaged with landlords during training opportunities.

Drone Team

The Elgin Drone Team is comprised of nine members with Part 107 FAA certification, with at least one member always on call 24 hours a day. The team responds to requests including traffic crashes, fleeing suspects, search and rescue, missing persons, suicidal subjects, armed robberies, burglaries, locating armed subjects, assisting other agency requests, and documentation of crime scenes.

The department strives for innovation with this modern technology and a livestreaming platform is used to present the drone’s vantage point directly to stakeholders on a call. The Drone Team is also exploring ways to use drones as a first response tool, being ready to fly at moment’s notice and in situations where a drone could prove useful in saving time, money, resources and increase personnel safety. Visitors from other policing agencies have contacted EPD for training, questions, and assistance in starting their own drone programs.

K-9

The Elgin Police Department’s K-9s are used to assist in the discovery of evidence, the apprehension of wanted individuals, search and rescue missions for lost and endangered persons, school searches, tracking, and much more.

Our K-9 officers attend a ten week training course with their K-9 partner and they are responsible for ensuring that training continues after this initial training so that they and their partner remain proficient. K-9 officers must know the capabilities of their K-9 partner and continually develop the dog’s senses.  K-9 officers are also responsible for the daily grooming and well-being of their K-9 partner.

You will also see our K-9’s at many community events as they are always a popular request!

Officer Arnold
K-9 Chance

Chance’s birthday is January 21, 2021 and he was sworn in on June 26, 2021.  Chance is funny, loving, and the star of the show where ever he goes!  He has been utilized for crisis calls in Elgin, and all over the state.

K-9 Charm

Charm was born on June 4, 2024 and is Chance’s great niece.  In September of 2024 she joined the department as our second therapy dog.  She enjoys being held and building piles of shoes, blankets, and any other items she can get her paws on! Just four days into her career, she had her first assignment, helping to comfort students at one of Elgin’s schools. Charm is now in training and will be out in the community soon!

Officer Schuttrow
K-9 Rex

Rex was born on February 25, 2021 and after training, started at the department in June of 2021.  Rex is trained in detection, obedience, apprehension, protection, narcotics detection, tracking, and article, area, and building searches.

Officer Brown
K-9 Zam

Zam was born on August 18, 2021 and after training, started at the department in June of 2023.  Rex is trained in narcotics detection, cadaver detection tracking, and article, area, and building searches.

Officer Nisivaco
K-9 Ace

Ace was born on March 23, 2023 and after training, started at the department in August of 2024.  Ace is trained in narcotics detection and article, area, and building searches.

Officer Young
K-9 Mac

Mac was born on June 14, 2023  and after training, started at the department in August of 2024.  Mac is trained in narcotics detection and article, area, and building searches.

Major Investigations Division

When a call for service requires further follow-up or investigation, it may be referred to the Investigations Division. Most of these cases are assigned to detectives in Major Investigations, a unit that handles a broad range of cases, with some detectives receiving specialized training, such as Juvenile Detectives.

The primary mission of Juvenile Detectives is to better understand youth involved in criminal activity and guide them toward healthier choices. Whenever possible, EPD prioritizes alternatives to arrest, focusing on collaboration with families, School Resource Officers, and community organizations to offer a more positive, rehabilitative experience for troubled youth.

School Resource Officers

Elgin’s School Resource Officers (SROs) serve to establish a positive working relationship between the police department and school staff, including administrators, teachers, students, and parents. These detectives provide counseling to students when needed and are a point of contact in times of crisis intervention. SROs facilitate clubs and after-school programs to promote positive learning and development environments, and they play an active role in the Youth Empowerment Program.

Special Investigations Group

The Special Investigations Group is a proactive unit comprised of detectives who investigate drug and gang crimes.  The goal of the unit is to reduce serious crime that has a nexus to the possession, purchase or sale of illegal firearms and narcotics.  The unit conducts long term investigations, undercover operations and proactive enforcement.

SWAT/Emergency Services Detail

The Special Weapons and Tactics Team / Emergency Services Detail (SWAT/ESD) consists of officers who are recruited, selected, trained, equipped, and tasked with resolving critical incidents that require specialized capabilities and equipment. SWAT/ESD Officers are responsible for the execution of high-risk warrants and arrests, hostage, and barricade incidents. Specifically members of SWAT/ESD staff the “Emergency Services Detail” which works every day from 4 pm to midnight. This detail is staffed by SWAT/ESD officers who are readily available to be deployed immediately into any critical incident including the resolution of emotionally distressed persons.

Technical Investigations Unit

The Technical Investigations Unit (TIU) supports the department with digital forensic analysis and surveillance camera footage requests. TIU manages over 600 cameras in the city which cover busy intersections and locations with frequent crimes. In addition, this unit is responsible for working with businesses and homeowners who have their own security equipment for the purposes of aiding investigation. In the last few years, home security systems such as Ring and Arlo have become increasingly popular, and footage can be released at the homeowner’s discretion to TIU when a crime occurs.

Digital Forensics Investigations are also an integral part of TIU. This work involves the acquisition and preservation of digital evidence found on cellular phones, computers, and other electronics.

Traffic Unit

The most recognizable function of the Traffic Unit is the investigation and reconstruction of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries. The unit also oversees abandoned vehicles, hit & run crashes, overweight trucks, parking complaints, school crossing guards, selective traffic enforcement, special events, and taxi ordinance violations.

The Traffic Unit is also involved with numerous education and community events, such as the Citizen’s Police Academy, the Fourth of July Parade, and Nightmare on Chicago Street.