Lake Zurich Police Take First Place in National Competition

The recently were awarded the top spot in a national competition that recognizes excellence in traffic safety and a continued commitment to save lives through enforcement and education.

The National Law Enforcement Challenge is sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and this year included 456 applications from departments across 18 states.

Lake Zurich received first place in the 26 to 45 sworn officer category, and won out over 61 other police departments.

A panel of independent judges made up of law enforcement reviewed applications and awarded points for each entry. Departments were required to score 85 points or more to qualify for a national award.

“Our department received roughly 150 points out of a possible 190,” said Police Chief Patrick Finlon.

Areas of concentration included the level of education provided to the public about enforcement of traffic laws, vehicle occupant protection, impaired driving and speeding.

“In addition to traffic safety, our department also strives to provide education on the financial impact that violating traffic laws can have on you. It's more money out of your pocket, especially if you or someone else is injured, which affects insurance rates and has other financial repercussions,” said Cmdr. David Bradstreet.

The traffic award received by the is part of the department’s ongoing campaign to educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving, according to Finlon.

“We have the right policies, enforcement efforts and training,” Finlon said.

That the village has a relatively low crime rate has enabled police to put a more pointed focus on fortifying traffic safety efforts.

“I attribute the high placement to Lake Zurich being a safe community; we pride ourselves on traffic enforcement because residents are more likely to be injured in a traffic accident than any other circumstance,” said Bradstreet.

As the holiday season approaches, police are preparing to put their programs and policies into action.

Residents are reminded that tonight — the eve of Thanksgiving — is historically the biggest drunken driving night of the year, due to the long holiday weekend and celebrations that start early, according to Bradstreet.

“The best idea is to stay in and be safe; at the end of the day, we want voluntary compliance,” Bradstreet said.

During the holiday period that started in Thanksgiving 2010, car accidents killed 1,043 people, 363 of which involved drivers impaired by alcohol.