In addition to cycling through neighborhoods, the Know Your Officer program is a direct effort to familiarize community members with their neighborhood officers. He stated that patrolling parks and areas with high incidences of crime on a bicycle is a helpful strategy since officers on bicycles can move much more quietly, reach areas inaccessible by patrol cars, and offer a more personal approach to policing than officers in vehicles. Sergeant John Moersfelder emphasized the importance of police presence on bicycles. So far, officers have distributed over 300 of the toys, games, and stuffed animals donated through this effort.

After being approached by a local charity to distribute toys, games, and stuffed animals, officers began surprising kids-and parents-with gifts during routine traffic stops and visits to schools. It just tears at your heartstrings.вЂќДЄnother initiative that Skokie officers find as important as Cops with Kids is a gift-giving opportunity. My wife and I promised her that we would pay whatever the difference was so that she could get the doll that she wanted. After looking at both, she put the least expensive doll in the cart to save money for other things for her family. We knew she wanted this particular doll and when we walked down the aisle we found it, but it cost $35.00. вЂњOne girl that my wife and I walked around with wanted a doll. One kid asked to buy a scarf and gloves for his grandfather.вЂќ Chief Scarpelli went on to describe his personal experience with Cops with Kids. Kids are asking if they can buy light bulbs and canned goods and housewares and clothing. вЂњThis is one of the most heartwarming experiences of my career. They have great insight on which families are in need.вЂќ вЂњWe felt the best experts are the schools. вЂњPolice departments donвЂ™t have a great gauge on who is deserving or needy,вЂќ said Chief Scarpelli. The youth are selected by the local schools based on need. The youth are told that they can purchase whatever they want up to the maximum amount on their gift cards provided by a fundraiser sponsored by the FOP. In collaboration with the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge, Skokie officers are partnered with 100 area youth for a shopping extravaganza at Walmart. These initiatives ensure that officers and community members can have non-enforcement-related interactions on a regular basis.Д¬ops with Kids is a particularly special program for Chief Scarpelli. Skokie officers invest quite a bit of their time in community engagement through numerous initiatives like Cops with Kids, Neighborhood Watch, Business Watch, Know Your Officer, National Night Out,Officer Friendly Program, area bike patrols, and saturation patrols, to name a few. The low incidences of crime can be attributed to many factors, including community policing. There were no homicides in Skokie last year,вЂќ said Chief Anthony Scarpelli, who has served as the departmentвЂ™s leader since 2011. вЂњEven though we border Chicago and you hear about major crimes there, the likelihood here is very slim. Despite the areaвЂ™s offerings and high traffic, its crime issues are minimal. The area features two major shopping centers, rapid transit, and a major expressway that brings many people to and from Skokie on a daily basis.

The community, sometimes referred to as вЂњThe WorldвЂ™s Largest Village,вЂќ borders Chicago and Evanston and offers a suburban feel in an urban setting.

The Skokie Police Department serves a population of approximately 66,000 residents in a city that covers just 10 square miles. Their depiction of community policing features Sergeant Scott Anderson hugging a young girl after accompanying her during a Cops with Kids shopping event in December, 2014. The COPS Office is pleased to feature the March 2016 winner of the Community Policing in Action Photo Contest-the Skokie Police Department. Skokie, Illinois: Community Policing through Shopping and Hugs

Skokie police blotter