Fairview Heights Police Department

The core mission of the Fairview Heights Police Department is carried out by our Patrol Division officers. Every other division and unit in the Police Department, including the Chief of Police and administrators, are there to support what Patrol does day in and day out.

PATROL OFFICERS ARE COUNTED ON BY THIS COMMUNITY TO:

· Respond to emergency calls for help;
· Act as keepers of the peace;
· Investigate and report on crimes and incidents;
· Make arrests as needed;
· Enforce traffic laws and investigate traffic accidents;
· Patrol neighborhoods and businesses to prevent and detect crime.

The Patrol Division is made up of 28 officers, divided into 4 teams. Each team is led by a patrol sergeant. The teams work 12-hour shifts.  Each team is assigned to work together on the same shift for a full year.

Patrol officers work a variation of days and nights, with the main hours starting at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.  On the day shift, the team consists of the sergeant and six officers. On the night shift, the teams are made up of a sergeant and five officers.  The city is split into four districts; district one  encompasses the area from Old Collinsville Road to Rt 159.  The Mall and surrounding property is its own business district with one officer assigned on a daily basis.  District two runs from Rt 159 to Union Hill Road, and district 3 the remaining area of the city to the west.  Officers are assigned calls by district with roam cars to fill in while district cars are busy.  Officers work as a cohesive unit to provide safety to each other and to our citizens and visitors.  Officers rotate districts every two weeks, so that officers are familiar with each area of the city.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

The Fairview Heights Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division supports the other divisions of the department by conducting follow-up investigations of reported criminal activity and if warranted presenting cases to the St. Clair County States Attorney’s office for prosecution. Detectives review preliminary investigations conducted by patrol officers and then interview victims, witnesses, and suspects. Personnel assigned to the unit possess special knowledge and skills in interviewing, crime scene processing, interpersonal communication, and constitutional issues such as search and seizure. Detectives within the division are members of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and the Child Death Investigations Task Force.

The division is comprised of a Division Commander, Detective Sergeant, and eight sworn officers. Four of the officers serve as detectives investigating general criminal activity that has occurred within the city of Fairview Heights. One officer serves as the juvenile detective primarily investigating crimes and civil matters involving persons under the age of eighteen. Three officers are on special assignment with outside law enforcement agencies. One officer is assigned to the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois, which investigates street-level drug crimes that occur within a multi-county area. Another officer is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) task force. This task force investigates drug offenses that are of a larger scale and fall under federal jurisdiction. The department also belongs to the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, which primarily investigates auto theft within St. Clair and Monroe Counties. The task force is staffed by officers from ten agencies.

SUPPORT SERVICES & FEES

Our Records Department, staffed by two civilian employees, is responsible for the overall processing, maintenance and digitizing of department records and reports. This includes all reports pertaining to crimes, accidents, arrest records, traffic citations and warning tickets. The Records Department is responsible for the preparation of the monthly Illinois Uniform Crime Report. They provide assistance to citizens and law enforcement agencies as necessary.

HONOR GUARD

In April of 2008, the Police Department formed its first Honor Guard unit. The Honor Guard unit was established to serve as official ambassadors of the Police Department for fallen police officer/firefighter funerals, ceremonial presentations and indirectly for recruitment purposes.

Former Chief of Police Edward Delmore called upon an old friend, Darrin DeCoster, of the Fairfax County Va. Police Department to help the unit during its formation. DeCoster was a member of the Army Old Guard and also served as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. DeCoster instructed the unit on drill moves, hand movement, flag etiquette, rifle and flag presentations, and posture.

Before the first week of instruction was over, Former Chief Delmore arranged for the Honor Guard to present the colors during the National Anthem for the 2008 St. Louis Cardinal’s opening game. Since that time, the Honor Guard has been requested to present the colors at several events including SWIC Police Academy graduations, the FHPD senior and youth academies, the St. Louis Blues Hockey Team Heroes night, Grace Church Memorial Day celebration, the Guns & Hoses Police vs. Firemen boxing match, the Southern Illinois Police Chief Association & Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission annual training seminar. They have participated in the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Memorial and Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Springfield, Illinois, along with a number of fallen police officer funerals. 

The Honor Guard currently consists of 10 sworn officers.