crime prevention

Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce and stop crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice and overall stability. (Wikipedia)

Auto Theft

Many car owners, because of carelessness and unconcerned behavior, invite thieves to steal their car. The chances of having your car stolen are greatly minimized by simply removing the opportunity through a few precautionary measures.

If your car is too much trouble to steal, a thief will look for another car. Here are some simple steps to take that will make your car harder to steal.

Parking Your Vehicle

ALWAYS take the key out of the ignition, roll the windows up tight and lock the doors whenever your park your vehicle, even if only for a minute.

NEVER leave your motor running without you in it. It’s unsafe, and it is also illegal.

Park in a well-lighted, busy spot if possible. A car thief would rather work where he is not seen. Check your car from time to time. If you have a garage, use it. Lock both your car and the garage. If you don’t have a garage park in a driveway instead of the street, if possible.

When you park in an attended lot, leave only the ignition key. Do not give the attendant a full set of keys or any key on which a key code appears. Either invites the person to copy the keys. If you leave your house key, your home may become a target of a future burglary. Be sure to take the claim check with you to prevent a thief from using it to drive your car out of the lot.

Never hide spare keys in a secret place or in a magnetic key box under the hood or other accessible places. Car thieves routinely check the visors and ash tray and look under the floor mats. If you feel better with spare keys close at hand, then carry them with you.

After parking your car, set the emergency brake and put the car in park, or gear if it has a manual transmission. To make it difficult for a thief to illegally tow your car, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left or right and remove the key to lock the steering column.

Alarms and Auto Theft Deterrence Systems

Install locks that deter thefts, such as:

• Tapered door lock buttons, to keep thieves from using coat hangers to open your car doors from the inside.
• High-security ignition locks, which normally go around the steering column housing (sometimes these are known as “cuff locks”)
• A “cane” or “J-bend” lock, which normally hooks up the steering wheel and the brake pedal.
• External and internal hood locks. These protect the battery from being stolen too.

Install other forms of disablers, such as:

• An ignition kill device, which interferes with the ignition system even if the car is “hot wired.”
• A fuel cutoff device, which shuts off the fuel after running for a few seconds. All of these devices can be hidden.
• Install the best type of alarm that you can afford (silent alarms, sound discriminators, motion detectors, and computerized tracking transmitters are among the high-end devices now available). Be sure to advise potential thieves that you have an alarm by placing warning stickers on your windows or windshields.

Other Tips

DO NOT keep the car’s title in the glove compartment; keep it at home. This will prevent a thief from using the title to “prove” he owns the car.

Do not keep anything of value in your glove compartment

Check periodically to be sure that your vehicle identification number (V.I.N.) is intact. This it the small metal plate, usually on the driver’s side where the dashboard and windshield meet.

Put packages and valuables out of sight, in the trunk. These include such items as cellular phones, calculators, CB radios, tape decks, expensive sports equipment and clothing. Put these items away before parking your car. If your car has a button release, keep the trunk button locked.

When selling a car, DO NOT let a stranger take it for a test drive alone. A car thief will not be back to pay you for your car. If a prospective buyer wants to take the car to a mechanic for an appraisal, volunteer to deliver and pick up the car.

What to do if your car is stolen

If you discover that your vehicle has been stolen, call the police immediately. Speed is essential in recovering stolen cars; any delay in reporting only helps thieves. Many times the report can be taken over the telephone. The quicker the police get information about your vehicle, the quicker the Sheriff’s Department and other Police Departments across the country can locate your vehicle, before it is stripped.

Here are a few other things you can do to help us recover your car:

• “Marking” your car can make it easier for the sheriff/police to identify your vehicle. One way is to drop a business card in the window slot. Another is to carefully engrave your initials inside the trunk, the hood, or even on the dashboard near the V.I.N. number.
• Carry a photocopy of your vehicle’s current license plate registration and insurance card. This will enable you to relay numbers to the sheriff quickly if your car is stolen.
• Use discretion if you see someone tampering with your car. Call 911 as quickly as possible. Don’t begin a fight with anyone, especially in a secluded area.
• Protect yourself when buying a used car. Verify the seller’s name and address, and be sure that the V.I.N. on the registration card is the same as the V.I.N. on the car itself. Thousands of stolen cars are seized from innocent buyers every year.

Child Abuse

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services ( DCFS ) is the agency that protects Illinois children from abuse and neglect. DCFS was established in 1964, and its principle function is to receive reports of abuse and neglect, to conduct investigations, and to take action to assure that children are protected. In some cases, this means removing the children from their homes and placing them in foster homes; in other cases, it involves providing services to families to prevent reoccurrence of the abuse or neglect.

The Department and its approximately 4,500 workers are also organized by divisions and offices. These include the divisions of Child Protection, Foster Care and Permanency Services, Clinical Services, Operations and Community Services, Administrative Case Review, Purchase of Service Monitoring and Support Services. There are also offices of Quality Assurance, Health Services, Medical Director, Guardian, Internal Audits, Legal Services, Employee Services, Latino Services, Affirmative Action, Administrative Case Review, and the Inspector General.

Child Welfare Reforms

The Department of Children and Family Services is the first “cabinet level agency” in the nation specifically created to serve children and families. During the 90’s, there has been growing emphasis on culturally competent, child-centered, community-based services. A Consent Decree was signed by U.S. District Court Judge John Grady of Chicago in 1991. The B.H. Consent Decree is a 69-page document that spells out comprehensive reforms that improve the responsiveness of Illinois’ child welfare system to the needs of children and families and holds it more accountable to the general public.

Under the decree, the Department agreed to carry out the reforms on a phased-in basis. Reforms also have been initiated on a number of additional fronts. New laws have created a Foster Parents Bill of Rights, a Code of Ethics for child welfare professionals, and established the standard of a “child’s best interest” in making child protection and welfare decisions. Also, new training programs have been instituted and all supervisors of direct service workers are now required to have a Masters in Social Work degree.

Reforms also focus on reducing the time children spend in the child welfare system. In 1997, the Department began to implement a legislatively mandated Permanency Initiative. The initiative speeds up the timetable for permanency decision-making by amending the Juvenile Court process and emphasizing the early provisions of services to help parents correct the conditions which brought their children into the welfare system. Parents who are unwilling or unable to make progress toward the return of their children now risk loss of their parental rights in as early as one year.

Other reforms affect the Department’s subsidized guardianship program. Established in 1996, the program offers a new option for children living with caregivers who are providing a safe and stable environment, but for whom the normal goals of adoption or return home have been ruled out. Subsidized guardianship transfers the legal custody of a child from DCFS to that of a private caregiver while maintaining some support. Under such an arrangement, the Department relinquishes the care, supervision, and custody of the child but may pay a subsidy to the legal guardian to assist in the child’s care.

In 1997, the Council on Accreditation for Services to Families and Children accredited eight DCFS offices, marking the first phase toward achieving accreditation of all DCFS offices. The Department is one of the first state agencies to seek such comprehensive accreditation for itself and the private agencies it contracts with, thereby assuring consistent, quality service for all its clients.

Child Abuse and Neglect Services

In 1980, DCFS established a State Central Register in Springfield which maintains a 24-hour statewide hotline which citizens may call to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child. The number is 1-800-25-ABUSE and TTY 1-800-358-5117.

The same numbers are used by professionals such as doctors and teachers who are required by law to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect. The Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act mandates that those persons most likely to come in contact with children, report suspected abuse or neglect.

The hotline received 355,579 phone calls during Fiscal Year 1997, a 5.8 percent decrease from the previous year. As a result of those calls, reports of alleged abuse or neglect involving 119,209 children were taken, representing a 4.8 percent decrease from the previous year. A call is considered a report if the hotline worker has reasonable cause to suspect that abuse or neglect has occurred, thus warranting investigation. If the worker determines that a legitimate complaint has been made, the Department’s investigative staff must respond within 24 hours.

Child Abuse Prevention

The Department attempts to break the cycle of abuse and neglect through a number of projects and programs, including:

• Training sessions on parenting skills and coping with children
• Counseling to improve the self-esteem of parents
• Crisis nurseries for children at risk
• Establishment of peer support groups for children and parents
• Some of these programs and financed through state funds and others receive funding through federal grants. In recent years, the Illinois Child Abuse Prevention Fund has been a major funding source. Since the fund was established in 1984, it has helped more than 300,000 children and families. All donations go to community-based programs.

Adoption

When children cannot be returned to their birth parents, adoption becomes the permanency goal of choice. In Fiscal Year 1997, DCFS achieved an all-time high of 2,229 adoptions.

The Department anticipates even further growth in the number of adoptions under performance-based contracting. The program, which went into effect in July 1997 in Cook County, and implemented statewide in January 1998, aligns incentives with the outcomes that are best for children. Contracts will now be paid for positive permanency outcomes, e.g. reunification, adoption or subsidized guardianship. Agencies will be responsible for balancing their numbers of incoming cases with the number of cases they discharge. To meet the goal of reducing the length of time children remain in foster care, the plan allocates greater resources for reunification, adoption, and counseling services.

When moving children to permanency by way of adoption is ruled out, the other alternative is guardianship. In Fiscal Year 1997, DCFS received permission from the federal government to provide subsidies, identical to those provided in adoptions, to families taking guardianship of a child who is at least 12 years old, has been in care for at least two years, and has been in care for at least two years, and has been with the foster family who wants to be his/her guardian for at least one year. Sibling groups are eligible if at least one of the siblings meets the criteria.

Day Care Services

Among DCFS’ responsibilities is the licensing of day care centers and homes to assure a safe environment for children who need such services. In July 1997, the Department transferred responsibility for many of its day care programs to the new Illinois Department of Human Services. The following programs were transferred: subsidized child care for low-income working families, migrant head start services, child care providers. DCFS continues to purchase protective day care services for children in the DCFS caseload, as well as day care services for foster children working foster parents.

Substitute Care

Substitute care numbers have grown dramatically. At the end of Fiscal Year 1997, there were approximately 51,331 children in foster homes and other kinds of substitute care. Of those, 19,029 were in foster homes, 28,129 were in relative foster homes (living with relatives), and 4,173 were in institution or group homes.

Care Enough to Call

It is important for every person to take child abuse and neglect seriously, to be able to recognize when it happens, and to know what to do next. Care enough to call the State’s Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-25-ABUSE

What are Child Abuse and Neglect?

Hotline social workers this year will handle more than 130,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. Child abuse is the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in the child’s home or someone who works with or around children. The mistreatment must cause injury or must put the child at risk of physical injury. Child abuse can by physical (such as burns or broken bones), sexual (such as fondling or incest), or emotional.

Neglect happens when a parent or responsible care taker fails to provide adequate supervision, food, clothing, shelter or other basics for a child.

When should I call the Hotline?

You should call the Child Abuse Hotline whenever you believe that a person who is caring for a child, who lives with a child, or who works with or around children has caused injury or harm or put the child at risk of physical injury as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

Some examples include:

• If you see someone hitting a child with an object
• If you see marks on a child’s body that do not appear to have been caused by an accident
• If a child tells you that he or she has been harmed by someone
• If a child appears to be undernourished, is dressed inappropriately for the weather, or is young and has been left alone
• These are a few situations when you should call the Hotline. Use your own judgment can call the Hotline whenever you think a child has been abused or neglected.

When should I not call the Hotline?

Some situations do not require calling the Hotline. Use good judgment. Call only when you think a child has been or will be injured as described above.

Some examples of when you should not call the Hotline include:

• Situations where a child is causing a problem that concerns you, but the problem is not related to abuse or neglect. In some cases you may wish to call the police or talk to the child’s parents or relatives.
• Domestic situations where family stress is evident, but the child has not been abused or at risk of abuse. Community service agencies are often available to help.
• If you’re seeking information about DCFS or it’s programs, our Office of Communications is available to answer questions at 217-785-1700 or you may call your local DCFS office.

What should I report?

Hotline staff are social workers with special training in determining what constitutes child abuse and neglect under Illinois law. Details are important.

Ideally, you should be able to tell the Hotline worker:

• The child’s name, address and age.
• The nature of the suspected abuse or neglect, including when and where it occurred.
• The names of suspected perpetrators and their relationship to the child (parent, teacher, etc.)
• Any other information you think may help

What happens when I call the Hotline?

When you call, a Hotline social worker will listen to what you wish to report. The worker will then ask questions to help gather enough information to determine whether to take a formal report. If there is not enough information to take a report, the worker will tell you so and answer any questions you may have. If a formal report is taken, a child protective investigator will begin the investigation within 24 hours – much sooner if the child is considered in immediate risk of harm.

How am I protected?

Members of the general public may make reports without giving their names. People who do not give their names and report alleged child abuse or neglect in good faith cannot be held liable for damages under criminal or civil law. In addition, their names cannot be given to the person they name as the perpetrator or to anyone else unless ordered by a hearing officer or judge.

Should I call the Police?

If you believe abuse or neglect has occurred, call the Hotline. However, you should also consider calling the police – especially in emergencies or when the child has been injured.

How else can I help?

The Illinois income tax check-off program enables people to donate to the Child Abuse Prevention Fund when they file their state income tax returns. The money is used to support community-based family education programs designed to help parents improve their parenting skills and learn how to cope with family life. DCFS also offers a wide variety of volunteer programs for people wanting to serve their communities. Call your local DCFS office for details.

Who are mandated reporters?

Members of the general public may report suspected child abuse and neglect if they choose. However, state law mandates that workers in certain professions must make reports if they have reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect.

Mandated reporters include:

• Medical Personnel: Physicians, psychiatrists, surgeons, residents, interns, dentists, dental hygienists, medical examiners, pathologists, osteopaths, coroners, Christian Science practitioners, chiropractors, podiatrists, registered and licensed practical nurses, emergency medical technicians, substance abuse treatment personnel, hospital administrators and other personnel involved in the examination, care or treatment of patients.
• School and Child Care Personnel: Teachers, school personnel, educational advocates assigned to a child pursuant to the School Code, truant officers, directors and staff assistants of day care centers and nursery schools, and child care workers.
• Law Enforcement Personnel: Truant officers, probation officers, law enforcement officers, and field personnel of the Department of Corrections.
• State Agencies: Field personnel from the Departments of Children and Family Services, Public Health, Public Aid, Mental Health and Development Disabilities, Corrections, Human Rights, and Rehabilitation Services. Also includes supervisors and administrators of general assistance under the Illinois Public Aid Code.
• Others: Social workers, social service administrators, domestic violence program personnel, crisis line or hotline personnel, foster parents, homemakers, recreational program or facility personnel, registered psychologists and assistants working under the direct supervision of a psychologist.

Mandated reporters making good faith reports have the same immunity from liability under the law as non-mandated reporters. However, a mandated reporter’s failure to report suspected instances of child abuse or neglect to DCFS constitutes a Class A misdemeanor; simply reporting suspicions to a superior does not satisfy legal requirements.

What You Need To Know About A Child Abuse Or Neglect Investigation

What is a child abuse/neglect investigation?

Calls to the Child Abuse Hotline that meet requirements under state law for a child abuse or neglect report to be made are immediately referred to a Department investigator. State law (325 ILCS 5) requires the investigator to see the child within 24 hours or sooner. The state law also gives the Department authority to take protective custody of children (remove children from the home) or take other protective actions if the children are in danger of being harmed.

The state law defines an “abused child” as a minor under age 18 who is being harmed by any person responsible for a child’s welfare, including the following: a parent, family member, any person who resides in the home, a boyfriend or girlfriend of the parent, babysitter or day care provider. Harm to the child may be the physical or emotional injury (or serious risk of injury), excessive punishment, sexual offenses or child torture.

The law defines a “neglected child” as any child whose parent or person responsible for the child’s welfare does not provide necessary support, as required by law, medical or other care for the well-being of the child, or such necessities as adequate clothing, food and shelter. A child who has been left with a relative as their plan of care is not considered neglect. The Department will not remove your children from your home due to neglect unless your child is in immediate danger or the services provided by the Department cannot reduce the neglect.

Who can call the Child Abuse / Neglect Hotline?

Anyone can make a report. Reports are made by calling the 24-hour toll-free Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-252-2873. Certain people-doctors, nurses, teachers, child care center staff, social workers, and other mandated reporters- can lose their licenses or suffer other penalties if they do not report when they think a child is being harmed. The Child Abuse Hotline worker who speaks with the caller will determine whether there is enough information to start an investigation.

What happens during the investigation?

The law requires the Department of Children and Family Services investigator to see or attempt to see all children who are alleged to have been abused or neglected within 24 hours of the time the report is received. The Department investigator will contact the child and the family and will show official identification and explain what the report is about. The Department investigator will interview the people residing in the home and other people who may be helpful to the investigation.

What can you do to help?

If you or members of your family are involved in a DCFS investigation, you can help by providing full information to the investigator. The investigator will ask questions and may contact other people. The names of witnesses, doctors, teachers, neighbors, friends and relatives who have a firsthand knowledge of you and your children will be most helpful.

Will the police and the local state’s attorney be notified?

The police and the local state’s attorney will be notified of all serious cases and reports, especially those which involve the alleged serious physical or sexual abuse of children. The police may also be called if, for some reason, individuals refuse to cooperate with the investigative worker. The police make either investigate jointly with DCFS or conduct their own investigation.

What about the children?

Steps will be taken to assure the safety of children when they are in danger of being harmed. This may require temporary placement of children with relatives, placement in a foster home, a shelter care facility, or some other type of protective service. Before a child is taken into protective custody, the investigator will consider whether certain services, such as assistance in locating and securing housing, could avoid the need for the children to be placed outside the home.

Will I have to go to court?

The Child Protection Investigator will remove a child from the home (Temporary Protective Custody) Hearing is held in Juvenile Court so that a judge may determine whether the child is in need of protection. Parents receive a written notice that a Shelter Care Hearing is scheduled and should attend this hearing. Based on the evidence presented at the hearing, the judge may return a child to the parents or order DCFS to serve as temporary custodian of the child. In subsequent Juvenile Court hearings, the judge hears evidence to determine whether the child is abused, neglected or dependent and the services made available to reunite the child and family. DCFS, the parents, and others present information at these hearings. The judge enters orders in the best interest of the child based on the circumstances of the case.

How can I find out who called in the report?

By law, the Department cannot release the name of the person who made the report or anyone who cooperated in the investigation. Limited exceptions are described in the Department’s administrative rules.

When will I have the results of the investigation?

Once the investigator has gathered the important facts from the people involved, a decision or finding must be made by the investigator pending review by a supervisor. Usually a decision is made in less than 30 days. By law, the decision must be made within 60 days. An investigator can make one of two decisions. A report can be “unfounded” (when there is no credible evidence that the child was abused or neglected), or “indicated” (when there is credible evidence that the child was abused or neglected). “Credible evidence” means that the facts gathered by the investigator would lead a reasonable person to believe that a child had been abused or neglected.

If you are alleged to have abused or neglected a child, you will receive a letter from the Department telling you of the results of the investigation. You should receive this letter within 90 days of the date the investigation started. If an extension is requested, the letter may be sent after the 90 day period.

What type of record is retained by the state?

If the investigator decides that there is credible evidence the child abuse or neglect report will be indicated, the investigative report will be kept by the Department for 5 to 50 years, depending on the severity of the incident. If the report is unfounded, the information will be kept from 30 days to 12 months, depending on the nature of the incident. The record will then be destroyed, unless you ask that it be retained because of concerns about harassment.

What are my rights if a report is indicated?

If you have been investigated, and the report is indicated, you have certain rights. These include:

• The right to request and receive information contained in Department records about the investigation (not including information about person(s) who reported the alleged abuse or neglect or people who cooperated with the investigation).
• The right to disagree with the finding and ask DCFS for a First Level Review of the report. Such a review will be conducted by a team of professionals who were not involved in the investigation.
• If the professional team agrees with the original investigative decision, you may then request an Administrative Hearing conducted by a Department Administrative Law Judge.
• If you do not accept the Department’s final decision, you can go to court and ask for a Judicial Review.
• You have a right to hire a lawyer at any point in the above appeal process.

What if someone is making false calls to the Child Abuse Hotline?

Occasionally an intentional false call is made on purpose to harass someone. This is against the law. If you believe this is what is what happened to you, immediately notify the Department. There are criminal penalties for false reporting, and there are steps the Department can take to deal with the problem. Note that while a report may be unfounded, it does not necessarily mean that it was based on an intentional false call.

What social services are available from the Department?

The Department has many types of services for children and parents, some of which you may be eligible to receive.

A few examples include:

• Counseling for children and families to help them manage and improve their environment
• Parent training to improve parenting practices and to protect children from abusive or neglectful situations
• Homemaker services to provide help in the home for families under stress
• Day care services to provide short-term help to families and child development programs for children
• Foster care-temporary care in a family home for an abused or neglected child

Child Safety Tips

REMEMBER, while very few children are actually at risk, you should not allow your child to become vulnerable to risks that can be avoided.

The following tips will not completely protect your child, however, they will increase the level of awareness.

This page has been designed to present the information to your children in a non-threatening manner; please adopt this style as you discuss personal safety with your child. Remember to teach your children according to their age and ability to understand.

A Parent’s Guide To Your Child’s Personal Safety.

Always Teach Your Children

• To know their full name, age, telephone number, area code and city.
• How to phone long distance in an emergency, by dialing direct or with the operators assistance.
• How to contact you, or another close relative in an emergency. How to contact a trusted neighbor, police, fire or ambulance services and when to make these calls.
• When children are home alone they should tell phone callers that you are there, but you are busy and cannot come to the phone. The phoning party can call back later.
• Teach your child to cut short any phone calls with strangers and hang up the telephone if a stranger continues to talk.
• When children are home, find out the identity of the person who comes to the door, without opening the door. If a stranger is at the door, teach your children to tell the stranger that you are busy, and he/she should go away and come back later. Teach your child not to engage in conversation with the visitor. If the child feels threatened, teach him to phone in an emergency number. Emergency numbers could be your telephone number at work, that of the police or a trusted neighbor who will be home.
• Where possible, your children should play and walk with other children.
• Your children should always ask your permission before accepting gifts from strangers.
• To avoid situations where strangers may approach your child alone, such as an unsupervised play area, empty lots, abandoned buildings, bushy area of parks, creeks and riverbeds.
• To run home or to the nearest public place, or a a friend’s house if someone is following or frightening your child.
• If someone follows your child in a car, they should turn around and get away. Run home or to a friends house or the nearest public place such as a school, store, or office. Your child should also try to remember what the driver and car looked like or its license number.
• That adults, especially strangers, rarely ask children for help in finding things, or for directions. Explain to your child that both men and women are strangers.
• If your child becomes separated from you in a store or shopping mall, to go directly to a store employee or cashier for help.
• That police officers who wear uniforms are their friends and that they can be trusted if your child is in trouble. It is for this reason that you should never use the police as a threat to your child. This will confuse their image of the police.

Teach Yourself

• To provide the school or daycare center with the names of persons to whom your child may be released. Inform the school or daycare center of whom to notify if your child does not arrive at school, including an emergency number if you cannot be reached.
• To make a quick mental note of your child’s clothing each day to aid in the search if your child becomes lost.
• To maintain up-to-date records which include a recent photograph of your child, his height and weight, medical and dental histories, and if you wish a video tape and fingerprint records. These records are valuable tools if your child becomes lost.
• To avoid clothing and toys which prominently display your child’s name. Children are less likely to fear a stranger who knows their name,
• To interview and check with other parents to ensure all potential baby sitters are trustworthy.
• To know all of your children’s friends, their families and their phone numbers. Insist that your child ask for permission to visit his friends.
• If your child must use the washroom in a public place, always accompany him, or ask another adult whom you trust to take him. Your child should never play or loiter near public washrooms or public changing rooms.
• To accompany your child door-to-door activities, such as Halloween or out of the home.
• Your children should always ask permission of you, a guardian or a teacher before they accept rides with strangers. Use a pre-selected secret code word with your child, and those whom you may ask to give your child a ride. Where necessary, change the code word with your child after it has been used for a period of time, or in those situations where it may become know by persons who do not have a need to know.

Child Sexual Abuse

Always Teach Your Children

• The proper name of their body parts. Teach them that certain parts of their bodies are private. Nobody has a right to touch them without your permission. Use the example of a bathing suit to help your child understand what the private parts of the body are.
• Discuss sexual abuse in an open and sincere manner with your child in the same way as you would discuss other safety guidelines. This way you will bring this subject to your child’s attention without causing any unnecessary fear.
• Use family activities such as “what if” games that help your child think about new kinds of situations that could occur and make your child more confident of his abilities to handle those situations.
• Continually reinforce your love and concern for your child, regardless of things that may happen to them or things they might do. This applies equally to the child’s general safety and any incidence of sexual abuse.

When You Talk To Your Child About Sexual Abuse, Always Tell Them

• “Your body is your own and you don’t have to let ANYONE touch you or hurt you. “If someone does this say “NO” or “you are not my parent” and “always tell me who touched or tries to touch you.”
• “You have my permission to say “NO” or “don’t touch me that way” to any person especially if that person wants to do something that makes you uncomfortable.”
• “If you get uncomfortable FEELINGS when someone does something to you or asks your to do something to them, come and tell me.”
• “Sometimes nice people-people you know-do things that are not nice. Respecting and “Obeying” adults does not mean that you have to do everything they ask. If you think what they are doing or asking is wrong, come and tell me.”
• “Some secrets-like surprise parties-are fun, but a secret that another adult say only the two of you can know is not right-come and tell me.”
• “Always tell me if these things happen to you, because I love you and I want you to be safe.”

If You Suspect Your Child Has Been Abused, Let Your Child Know

• You know what he or she tells you.
• You are not angry with him or her and display your continued love for them.
• He or she is not responsible for the incident, regardless of the circumstances.
• You will do everything you can to protect him or her from further abuse by the offender.

A Child Is Missing

A What – To – Do Checklist For Parents

• Make a careful search of your home and surrounding properties.
• Check with playmates.
• Check favorite play areas.
• Call or visit local police stations, be prepared to give the following information:
• Full physical description
• Birth marks or other identification marks
• Most recent photographs
• Fingerprint record
• Description of clothing worn at time of disappearance
• Medical problems
• Recent problems at home, school, with playmates, etc.
• Possible or probable abduction by spouse or former spouse
• Possible runaway, because favorite clothes, possessions are missing

How Can You Become Involved In Child Safety

• Get to know the parents in your neighborhood
• Join the local neighborhood watch program
• Build a home information center which includes a map of your neighborhood and its play area, and have your child identify where he will be at all times and when he will return.
• List telephone number of neighbors and relatives whom you trust and can be contacted in case of an emergency.
• List other important telephone numbers such as police, fire, ambulance, and explain to your child when they should be called.
• Design a “Growth Chart” and record your child’s height regularly.

The Backseat Is The Safest Seat For All Children

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 5 to 15 years old. A study by the National Highway Traffic Administration concluded children are safer riding in the backseat.

Airbags are lifesaving devices, but special precautions must be taken when driving children in air-bagged equipped vehicles. Children risk injury if they are unbelted, improperly belted or otherwise too close to the dashboard when an airbag inflates. To play it safe, always buckle children in the backseat.

If a child must ride in the front seat, or the vehicle does not have a backseat, move the seat as far back as possible from the dashboard and make sure the child is buckled properly.

Never place rear-facing infant safety seats in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side airbag. The back of the safety seat in this position is too close to the inflating airbag and the infant could be killed or seriously injured.

Bicycle Safety

Be protected — Always wear an approved bicycle helmet. Adult cyclists as well as children receive serious and sometimes fatal head injuries. 75% of cycle-related fatalities are due to head injury. Statistics show that 95% of the children in the U.S. own and ride a bicycle and 80% of the crashes involving children under 15 years old are caused by the children themselves. Wearing an approved bicycle helmet reduces head injuries by 85%.

Be visible — Smart cyclists make themselves easy to see. If you are out after dark or in fog or rain, make sure motorists can see you. Use lights, reflectors and reflective tape. A bell or horn is also a good idea. Wear light or bright colors like red, white or yellow. Put an extra bit of reflective tape on the pedals. Wear reflective bands on your wrists and ankles or on the front and back of your jacket.

Obey all traffic signs and signals — Signs and Signals are posted to protect your life and the lives of others. They must be obeyed.

Ride with traffic — Remember-you must not ride in the middle of the road, or on the left-hand side, or weave your bike from side to side. Always be very careful when you pass parked cars. Thoughtless motorists sometimes open doors on the traffic side, right in your path. Be alert.

Ride single file on the street — Always ride one behind the other. Do not follow too closely. Keep at least one bike length behind the cyclist ahead in case you have to stop suddenly.

Stop before riding into the street from your driveway or a lane — Motorists may not have time to see you if you pop out suddenly.

Always walk your bike at busy corners — It’s impossible to see in all directions at once. Traffic is tricky at corners, so the safest thing to do is to dismount and walk your bike across with the pedestrians.

Never ride two on a bicycle — Unless you have a tandem bicycle your bike was built to carry only one person. Never carry passengers on the handlebars, crossbar or seat.

No ” trick riding” on streets or highways — Trick riding on the streets, roads or highways isn’t smart-it’s dumb. Good cyclists don’t have to show off.

Lock your bicycle — When leaving your bicycle in a school yard, shopping plaza or other location, make sure you lock your bicycle to avoid it being stolen. Lock it with a sturdy lock or lose it!

Do:

• Always wear a helmet
• Wear proper clothes
• Make sure your bike is adjusted properly
• Check brakes before riding
• Ride with traffic. Keep to the right of the road

Don’t:

• Show off
• Zigzag, race or stunt ride in traffic
• Hitch rides on trucks or cars
• Accept Passengers
• Carry large packages which can get in your way
• Ride against traffic
• Tailgate or ride too close

Crime Prevention Tips for Children

When You Are Playing Outside

• Stay away from curbs when you’re walking, and walk with friends. People may not bother you as easily if you’re with friends.
• Let your parents or guardians know where you are going and how long you plan on being there. Tell them the route that you are going to use to get there.
• Obey all traffic lights when crossing the street, and cross in the crosswalks.
• Don’t play near rest rooms.
• Don’t play in streets or alleys. Use our parks and playgrounds to play in.
• Try to play in a group, with friends. You’re safer in a group than you are by yourself.
• If you get in trouble in a group, there is someone there to help you.
• If someone driving a car stops and calls you to their vehicle. DON’T go near the car. Move away from the vehicle. If possible, try to get a look at the driver or the person who is calling you as you move away. Also try to remember the license plate, and the make and color of the car. – Always run in the opposite direction of the car; never run in the direction the car is facing. Then get to a safe place and tell an adult you trust what happened. If you see a police officer on the street, stop him or her and tell them.
• DON’T ever talk to strangers on the street or accept anything from them such as money, candy, or even a puppy. NEVER go with anyone, even if they tell you that they are looking for a lost person or pet. Get away from that person as quickly as possible. Tell an adult or the police what happened.

Con Games and Scams

Each year, thousands of people report incidents of criminal fraud, swindles and confidence games. And it is estimated that for each reported incident, two or more go unreported because the victims are too embarrassed to admit they’ve been swindled.

Victims

Although anyone can be the target of a con game, elderly persons often become victims. Recent studies show that the average age of confidence game victims is 78 years old. The victims are frequently in declining health, have poor vision, are easily confused and have cash savings hidden in their homes. These victims are sought out because they are less likely to identify the thieves, or to prosecute if the thieves are apprehended.

Method of Operation

Residential confidence offenders use different methods of operation to locate potential victims. They travel in groups by pick-up trucks, vans, automobiles or on foot during the daylight hours. Very often, the residential con offender observes his victim a day or more prior to the actual encounter. The victim may first be observed from a passing vehicle, by a child selling candy or cookies, or by a female posing as a political canvasser. Once a victim is located, a plan is devised and the offender returns later, armed with information about the victim and the residence.

These types of offenders will strike when an opportunity presents itself. If a potential victim is seen working in the yard, the offenders will take immediate action by entering the unattended, unlocked home to commit a burglary. The con offender’s goal is to enter the victim’s residence unopposed–for example, as a repairman or utility inspector. Once inside, the victim’s attention is held by one or more members of the group, while the others roam through the house taking money, jewelry, collectibles, strong boxes or any concealable items of value.

Method of Deception

The methods of deception that con offenders use are limited only by their imaginations. Some of the most popular used by adult con artists include the following:

• Gas company employees
• Electric company employees
• Water Department employees
• Building inspectors
• City inspectors
• Telephone repairmen
• Roofers
• Chimney repairmen
• Handymen
• Cement repairmen
• Window repairmen
• Persons offering emergency family assistance

Prevention and What You Can Do

Here are some simple things you can do to help prevent con offenders from victimizing you and your neighbors:

• Be observant and alert for strange pickup trucks, vans, station wagons and cars cruising your neighborhood. Also observe strange pickup trucks, vans or station wagons or cars parked in your street or in your alley that contain occupants.
• Take note of work being done on vehicles parked on the street that do not belong there. Watch for strangers walking down the street with buckets and ladders or going door-to-door.
• Write down the license plate numbers of suspicious vehicles. Also note the make, model and color of these vehicles and the operator and occupants of suspicious vehicles.
• If you observe the suspicious vehicles or persons in your neighborhood and think there is a crime in progress, call 911 with a complete description of the incident. If the suspicious vehicles or persons are no longer on the scene but you want to alert the Sheriff’s Office, call the non emergency number 1-815-727-8575.
• If you have an elderly person living next door or on your block and you see someone suspicious, call the police. If your parents are elderly and live alone, inform them not to let anyone in their home for repairs without first contacting you or the police.

Do’s and Don’ts to Protect Yourself from Con Games

Don’ts

• Don’t give out personal information, including credit card numbers (or even just expiration dates) if you are not making a purchase. Do not give out this information even if you are asked to do so for identification verification purposes, or to prove eligibility for a offer.
• Don’t advertise that you live alone, by the way you list your name in the phone book or put it on your mailbox.
• Don’t be fooled by a trustworthy manner or an official-sounding position of any person who makes an unusual financial proposition to you. Check the person out first- this may require calling the police.
• Don’t be fooled by persons claiming to represent a city or a state government agency. Always ask for their picture I.D.
• Don’t give strangers money or valuables as a “good faith” deposit.
• Don’t sign anything that you don not understand.

Do’s

• Do be wary of strangers with money propositions claiming to have been referred by your friends, relatives or clergy.
• Do be instantly suspicious of “deals” that require secrecy.
• Do take a few days to consider money propositions; talk them out with someone close to you.
• Do notify the police if you come close to being victimized or if you are actually victimized by a con game.
• Do testify in court, if asked, to help stop this kind of crime.
• Do get several estimates for every repair job and compare prices and terms. Ask if there is a charge for an estimate before agreeing to let the repair person or company inspect your home.
• Do make sure you know your sales person’s name and the name and address of the company he or she represents.
• Do ask the firm for references, and check them out. Inspect the finished product.
• Do contact your local Better Business Bureau to check out the company’s reputation before you authorize any work or pay any money.
• Before you decide to sign a contact, do make sure a completion date is specified and that you know what the job will cost, if work will be subcontracted, if a bond will be posted to protect you against liens on your home, if the contract includes all oral promises made, and if materials to be used are described in detail.
• Pay for home improvement work with a check or money order, never with cash. You may wish to make installment payments at the beginning of a job, when the work is almost complete, and after the job is finished. Many reputable companies do not require payment until work is completed.
• Remember… if you or someone else becomes a victim of a confidence game, notify the Sheriff or your local police department.

Internet Based Phone Scam Via Email

This a very IMPORTANT notice because it alerts you to a scam that is spreading extremely quickly, can cost you $100 or more, and is difficult to avoid unless you are aware of it.

There are lots of different permutations of this scam, but here is how it works:

You receive an email, typically with a subject line of ALERT or Unpaid Account. The message, which is being spread across the Net, says: I am writing to give you a final 24 hours to settle your outstanding account. If I have not received the settlement in full, I will commence legal proceedings without further delay. If you would like to discuss this matter to avoid court action, call Mike Murray at Global Communications at 1.809.496.2700.

Phone or Pager Scam

You receive a message on your answering machine or your pager which asks you to call a number beginning with area code 809. The reason you’re asked to call varies: it can be to receive information about a family member who has been ill, to tell you someone has been arrested or died, to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you’re told to call the 809 number right away.

Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the US, you will apparently be charged $25 per-minute! Sometimes the person who answers the phone will speak broken English and pretend not to understand you. Other times, you’ll just get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you’ll often be charged more than $100.00.

Here’s why it works: The 809 area code is located in the Caribbean. The 809 area code can be used as a “pay-per-call” number, similar to 900 numbers in the U.S. Since 809 is not in the U.S., it is not covered by U.S. regulations of 900 numbers, which require that you be notified and warned of charges and rates involved when you call a “pay-per-call” number. There is also no requirement that the company provide a time period during which you may terminate the call without being charged. Further, whereas many U.S. phones have 900 number blocking ( to avoid these kinds of charges ), 900 number blocking will not prevent calls to the 809 area code.

No matter how you get the message, if you are asked to call a number with an 809 area code that you don’t recognize, investigate further and/or disregard the message. Be VERY wary of email or calls asking you to call an 809 area code number.

Date Rape

Rapists aren’t always strangers.
When someone you know, a date, steady boyfriend, or casual friend – forces you to have sex, it’s still rape.

Preventing Date Rape

As a woman, you can…

• Be careful not to let alcohol or other drugs decrease your ability to take care of yourself and make sensible decisions.
• Trust your instincts. If a place or the way your date acts makes you nervous or uneasy, get out.
• Check out a first date or a blind date with friends. Meet in and go to public places. Carry money for a phone call or taxi or take your own car.
• Don’t leave a social event with someone you’ve just met or don’t know well.
• Do not accept beverages from someone you don’t know and trust. Always watch your drink and never leave it unattended.

As a man, you can…

• Accept a woman’s decision when she says “no”. Don’t see it as a challenge.
• Ask yourself how sexual stereotypes affect your attitudes and your actions toward women.
• Avoid clouding your judgment and understanding of what another person wants by using alcohol and other drugs.
• Realize that forcing a woman to have sex against her will is rape, a violent crime with serious consequences.
• Never be drawn into gang rape.
• Seek counseling or a support group to help you deal with feelings of violence and aggression toward women.

What Are “Date Rape” Drugs?

Rohyponol (“roofies”, “roopies”, “circles”, “the forget pills”) works like a tranquilizer. It causes muscle weakness, fatigue, slurred speech loss or motor coordination and judgment, and amnesia that lasts up to 24 hours. It looks like aspirin-small, white, round.

GHB ( also known as “liquid X, “salt water”, or “scoop”) also causes quick sedation. Its effects are drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, coma, and death. Its most common form is a clear liquid although it can also be a white, grainy powder.

Rohyponol and GHB are called the date rape drugs because when they are slipped into someone’s drink, a sexual assault can take place without the victim being able to remember what happened.

If Date Rape Happens:…

• GET HELP. Don’t isolate yourself, don’t feel guilty, and don’t try to ignore it. It is a crime and should be reported.
• Get medical attention as soon as possible. Do not shower, wash, douche, or change your clothes. Valuable evidence could be destroyed.
• Get counseling to deal with the emotional trauma.
• If you think you’ve been assaulted while under the influence of Rohypnol or GHB, seek help immediately, try not to urinate before providing urine samples and, if possible, collect any glasses from which you drank.

Rape

Rape is About Power, Control, and Anger

Think about the unthinkable.
Don’t mask the facts about rape with myths and stereotypes.

The Truth Is…

• Rape is an act of violence. It is an attempt to control and degrade using sex as a weapon.
• Rape can happen to anyone – children, students, wives, mothers, working women, grandmothers, the rich and poor, and boys and men.
• Rapists can be anyone – classmates, co-workers, a neighbor or delivery person, ugly or attractive, outgoing or shy, often a friend or family member.
• Rapists rape again and again until caught.

Use Your Head

• Be alert! Walk with confidence and purpose.
• Be aware of your surroundings-know who’s out there and what’s going on.
• Don’t let alcohol or other drugs cloud your judgment.
• Trust your instincts. If a situation or place makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, leave!

Common Sense Indoors

• Make sure all doors (don’t forget sliding glass door ) and windows have deadbolt locks, and use them!
• Install a peephole in the door. Keep entrances well-lighted.
• Never open your door to strangers. Offer to make an emergency call while someone waits outside. Check the identification of any sales or service people before letting them in. Don’t be embarrassed to phone for verification.
• Be wary of isolated spots-apartment laundry rooms, underground garages, parking lots, offices after business hours. Walk with a friend, co-worker, or security guard, particularly at night.
• Know your neighbors so you have someone to call or go to if you’re scared.
• If you come home and see a door or window open or broken, don’t go in. Call the police from a public phone or neighbor’s home.

Common Sense Outdoors

• Avoid walking or jogging alone especially at night. Stay in well-traveled, well-lighted areas.
• Wear clothes and shoes that give you freedom of movement.
• Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions – if you answer, keep your distance from the car.
• Have your key ready before you reach the door – home, car, or office.
• If you think you’re being followed, change direction and head for open stores, restaurants, theaters, or a lighted house.
• Park in areas that will be well-lighted and well-traveled when you return.
• Always lock your car-when you get in and when you get out.
• Look around your car and in the back seat before you get in.
• If your car breaks down, lift the hood, lock the doors, and turn on flashers. Use a Call Police banner or flares. If someone stops, roll the window down slightly and ask the person to call the police or a tow service.
• Don’t hitchhike, ever.
• Don’t pick up a hitchhiker.

When the Unthinkable Happens

How should you handle a rape attempt?

• It depends on your physical and emotional state, the situation, the rapist’s personality. There are no hard and fast, right and wrong answers, surviving is the goal.
• Try to escape. Scream. Be rude. Make noise to discourage your attacked from following.
• Talk, stall for time, and assess your options.
• If the rapist has a weapon, you may have no choice but to submit. Do whatever it takes to survive.
• If you decide to fight back, you must be quick and effective. Target the eyes or groin.

Surviving Rape

• Report rape or any sexual assault to the police or rape crisis center. The sooner you tell, the greater the chances the rapist will be caught.
• Preserve all physical evidence. Don’t shower, bathe, change clothes, douche, or throw any clothing away until the police say it’s ok.
• Go to a hospital emergency room or your own doctor for medical care immediately.
• Don’t go alone. Ask a friend or family member to go with you or call a rape crisis center or school counselor.
• Get counseling to help deal with feelings of anger, helplessness, fear, and shame caused by rape, whether it happened last night, last week, or years ago.
• Remember, rape is not your fault. Do not accept blame for being an innocent victim.

If Someone You Know Has Been Raped

• Believe him or her.
• Don’t blame the victim.
• Offer support, patience, and compassion to help the rape victim work through the crisis, heal, and emerge a survivor.

Order of Protection Information

To obtain an Order of Protection in Will County, you may do any of the following:

• Go to Will County Courthouse located at 100 W. Jefferson St. Joliet, IL 60432 and proceed to the Order of Protection office, located on the first floor, room 120 (adjacent to the Circuit Clerk payment window) | Map to Location ( External Site Link ) – Driving Directions (External Site Link)
• Contact a nearby domestic violence agency such as Groundwork Domestic Violence Program 815.729.1228 and ask for assistance.
• Contact your local police agency social worker.
• Ask your attorney to file a petition in civil court.
• Request an order during the course of a divorce proceeding.

What is an Order of Protection and how can it help you?

An Order of Protection is a court order available to “family or household members” prohibiting the abuser from certain activities or ordering the abuser to take certain actions. An Order of Protection may include, but is not limited to:

• Prohibit the abuser from harassing, abusing, stalking, intimidating, and/or interfering with the personal liberty of you and your dependents
• Order the abuser to leave and stay away from your shared residence ( even if the abuser is the property owner or sole individual listed on a lease ).
• Order the abuser to stay away from your home, employer, school, your dependents’ school/daycare
• Order the abuser to not contact you in any way, including phone, mail and through third-parties
• Prohibit the abuser from taking or damaging your personal property or property you own with him/her
• You can petition to order the abuser to pay child support, medical costs, legal expenses and undergo counseling
• Address issues regarding your children, including but not limited to visitation

Who is eligible for an Order of Protection?

An Order of Protection can be filed against a family or household member who has committed acts of domestic violence against you or your minor child.

A family or household member includes:

• Spouse or Ex-spouse
• Boyfriend/Girlfriend, former dating relationship
• A parent, step-parent, or grandparent
• A step-child or child of yours even if you are not married to the child’s mother or father
• Siblings, step-siblings
• A person related to you by blood or marriage

Acts of domestic violence include:

• Physical abuse
• Interfering with personal liberty
• Harassment
• Stalking
• Intimidation of a dependent
• Willful deprivation
• Neglect
• Exploitation

Procedure to Petition for an Emergency Order of Protection

Go to Will County Courthouse located at 100 W. Jefferson St. Joliet, Il 60432

Map to Location  – Driving Directions

NOTE:

• Cameras or camera phones are not allowed in the courthouse
• Filing for an order of protection will take some time. Please be patient and give yourself plenty of time to complete the process.
• You do not need to have a police report or have contacted the police in order to seek an order of protection.
• You are going to need to know certain information about the abuser such as their address or work address. This is important so that they can be served with the Order of Protection. You are also going to need addresses of the places you would like the abuser to stay away from such as your employer and your child’s school/daycare.

1. Go to Order of Protection office located on the first floor in room 120.
2. Sign in on the sheet provided.
3. You will then be assisted by an Order of Protection staff member to fill out the forms.
   1. On the Order, you will be listed as the Petitioner and the abuser will be listed as the Respondent.
   2. When filling out the forms with a staff member ask as many questions as you need to. Also, when filling out the narrative of the events of abuse be very specific (where you were when the abuse happened, who was there with you, what kind of abuse occurred; if verbal, what was said, were there injuries and if so where and by what means did they get there, were the police called, etc).
      **You may want to come prepared with a “diary of abuse”-a record of incidents when you have been abused, but it is not necessary**

After the forms are completed, the person helping you will give the forms to the Clerk’s office, who will then prepare a file.

Once the petition for the order of protection is filed you will be directed to wait in the proper courtroom so the Judge can hear your petition.

What if an Emergency Order of Protection is granted by the Judge?

1. The Judge will assign a return date and time for an Extension Hearing.
   1. Emergency Orders of Protection will last 14-21 days, in order to extend the Order of Protection; you must appear for the extension hearing scheduled by the Judge.
2. A copy of the Order of Protection will be provided for you, DO NOT leave the courthouse without it!
3. Make sure you review the order before you leave the courtroom. If there is an error or information missing, ask the clerk to make the correction before you leave.
4. Keep the order of protection with you at all times. If needed, make a copy for your workplace, children’s school/ daycare, neighbor, etc.

What if an Emergency Order of Protection is not granted by the Judge?

• There is a possibility that you may leave the courthouse without an Order of Protection.
• The Judge may deny the petition for the Order of Protection. The Judge may deny the petition for the Order of Protection for many reasons. The Judge may deny the Order because you do not meet the burden of proof or because no “family or household member” relationship exists.
• The Judge may set a hearing date for the petition of an Order of Protection. This does not mean you will not get an Order of Protection granted or that the petition has been denied, it simply means the judge would like the opportunity to hear both sides of the story before making a decision on the matter.

What if the petition for an Emergency Order of Protection is denied?

• When you initially ask for an Order of Protection, the Judge may deny your request and decide NOT TO SET A HEARING DATE.
• If this happens, and you feel that there has been some kind of error, you should IMMEDIATELY contact a private attorney or your local legal aid office.
• YOU HAVE THIRTY DAYS to file an appeal or to ask the Judge to change his mind.
• This is a complicated procedure and usually requires an attorney.
• If you have started this process, and your abuser commits a NEW act of abuse against you, you may seek another order of protection on those new grounds.

What if the petition for an Emergency Order of Protection was set for a hearing?

• The Judge will set a hearing date instead of issuing an Emergency Order of Protection. The hearing will be held to determine whether an Order of Protection will be granted.
• The respondent will receive notice of the hearing date and is given the opportunity to tell their side of the story at that time.
• When you return to the courthouse on the date and time indicated, go to the courtroom indicated and check-in with the clerk.
• If you (petitioner) do not appear, the Order will be dismissed. A dismissed order is longer effective.
  • NOTE: make sure you appear, even if you intend to drop the Order of Protection. This is important for many reasons. The Judge wants to hear your reason for dropping the Order also; the Judge wants to ensure your safety.
• You (petitioner) should bring witnesses and/or proof of the abuse, such as pictures.
• At the hearing, you may ask the Judge to:
  1. Extend the Order
  2. Change parts of it
  3. Drop the Order
  4. You may bring an attorney, although one is not required. You may qualify for an attorney. Call Legal Aid: 815.727.5123.
  5. The Respondent may appear with or without an attorney. At this time the Respondent will tell his / her part of the story.
  6. After hearing the statements of both parties, the Judge may end the proceedings or extend the Order of Protection for up to two years.
     • NOTE: Be sure to return for every extension date the Judge sets, even if you want to drop the Order of Protection.

If the abuser violates the Order of Protection

Call the police no matter what the circumstance. If an Order of Protection is violated, the abuser may have committed a Class A Misdemeanor and may be arrested. A second or subsequent offense may be a Class 4 Felony.

Important Phone Numbers:

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is not confined to certain groups. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. Everyone argues or fights with their partner or spouse now and then. When that quarrel gets out of control and turns to physical violence or abuse it becomes a crime.

What is Abuse?

Abuse usually means physical violence such as pushing, shoving, grabbing, pulling, slapping, choking, punching, etc., but it can also mean threatening, harassing, willfully depriving (withholding food, medicine, care, etc.), stalking, or interfering with the victim’s liberty.

Furthermore, when someone intimidates a partner or date by using physical violence, threats, emotional abuse, harassment, or stalking to control the behavior of their partner, they are committing domestic violence. Domestic violence is a crime. It is against the law for a spouse/partner to strike or beat you. It is not your fault! You are not responsible for someone else’s violent behavior.

Facts About Domestic Violence

• Nearly one-fourth of all relationships include violence.
• Wife-beating is the most common but least reported crime in the U.S.
• Over 40% of the women murdered are killed by their husbands or partners, usually after having been abused by them for years.
• Up to one-half of all wives are beaten at least once by their husbands.
• Domestic violence happens to people of all races, income, and education levels.
• Violence in the home usually becomes more frequent and severe over time.
• Victims of domestic violence may be silent because of embarrassment or shame.

What To Do After An Attack

1. Seek medical help as soon as possible. Tell the hospital staff what happened.
2. Make a police report, even if you do not want your abuser arrested. It documents the abuse which may become evidence for future court hearings ( such as a custody hearing, assault, battery, or stalking case).
3. Save evidence such as police reports, medical reports, dated pictures of your injuries or damaged property, names and addresses of witnesses, weapons, etc.
4. If you leave your spouse or partner, you may need some help, financial or otherwise. There are resources available. Counselors at any of the domestic violence programs or shelters can help you analyze your choices and work out a plan.

Law Enforcement Responsibilities

When a Law Enforcement officers responds to domestic violence at your home, the Illinois Domestic Violence Act requires that they take all reasonable steps to prevent further abuse, including, but not limited to:

• Arresting the abuser when the officer has probable cause to believe an offense ( battery, assault, etc ) has occurred.
• Assisting you by providing or arranging transportation for you to a hospital or shelter.
• Assisting you in obtaining the necessary personal belongings ( clothing for you and your children, medicines, legal papers, etc. ) by accompanying you back to the home you left and standing by while you gather these items.
• Advising you of your rights under the law and explaining how to press charges if the abuser has not been arrested.
• Making a police report on every bona fide allegation of domestic violence.
• You will need the report number in order to press charges in Domestic Violence Court.

The Legal System

Victims of domestic violence can obtain relief through the legal system. There are two ways in which relief can be obtained. One way is to pursue criminal charges against the offender, and the second is to pursue civil relief. The focus of this section is the criminal justice system. However, if a victim does not wish to pursue criminal charges against the offender, civil relief may be available.

Order of Protection

An Order of Protection is a court order available to “family or household members” prohibiting the abuser from certain activities or ordering the abuser to take certain actions. An Order of Protection may include, but is not limited to:

1. Prohibiting an abuser from continued threats and abuse:

   ABUSE: physical abuse, harassment, intimidation, interference with personal liberty or willful deprivation, not including the reasonable direction of a minor child by a parent or person acting in place of a parent.

2. Barring an abuser temporarily from the home and ordering the abuser to stay away from the victim’s place of employment, school, etc.;
3. Ordering the abuser to pay child support, medical costs and legal expenses;
4. Awarding child custody and prohibiting child abduction and requiring abuser to undergo counseling.

To obtain an Order of Protection, you may do any of the following:

1. Contact a nearby domestic violence or legal advocacy program and ask for assistance.
2. Go to your local circuit clerk’s office and request the necessary paperwork;
3. Ask your attorney to file a petition in civil court;
4. Request an order in conjunction with divorce proceedings; or
5. Request an order during the course of a criminal prosecution

If an Order of Protection is violated, the abuser has committed a Class A Misdemeanor and should be arrested. A second or subsequent offense is a Class 4 Felony. You may seek an Order of Protection on behalf of someone who cannot because of age, health, or disability.

More Information on Orders of Protection

Procedure to Obtain an Emergency Order of Protection

1. Go to Office of the Circuit Clerk – Room 212, Will County Courthouse
   1. Request from Clerk the following forms: Forms 10A, 10B, 10C, and 11A, 11B, and 11C.
   2. Ask the Clerk to direct you to the court personnel who will assist you with the proper completion of these forms. (Assistance can be obtained in the cubicle located at the entrance of Room 212.)
   3. After forms are completed, the person helping you will return the forms to the Clerk, who will then make up a file.
   4. Clerk then escorts Petitioner to the Courtroom
2. Appearance before Judge
   1. If Emergency Order of Protection is granted by Judge:
      1. The Judge will assign a return date and time for an Extension Hearing. ( A copy of the Petition and Order of Protection will be provided with the return date information, ” do not leave without it”).
      2. The date will be 14 to 21 days after the issuance of the Emergency Order of Protection.
      3. The time will be 9:30 a.m., in Courtroom 307.
   2. If Emergency Order of Protection is not granted by Judge:
      1. The Judge sets a Hearing Date instead of issuing an Emergency Order of Protection. A time (9:30 a.m.) and date (within 21 days from filing date) is set in courtroom 307. At the time, date, and place, a Hearing will be held to determine whether an Order of Protection will be granted.
3. Circuit Clerk’s Office
   1. A Clerk then sends the Order of Protection of the Hearing Notice to the Sheriff.
      1. The Sheriff serve the Respondent with the Order of Protection or Notice of Hearing. Through this service the Respondent is made aware of the remedies under the Order with time and date of the Extension Hearing or Hearing.
   2. Service outside Will County
      1. Clerk prepares 3 additional copies of the Order of Protection and gives them to the Petitioner.
      2. Petitioner must take these copies to the Sheriff’s Office in the county where the Respondent resides so that the Sheriff in that county can serve the Respondent.
      3. Request that the Sheriff mail back to you the “Proof of Service.” Or, you can arrange to pick it up to assure that you have the document in time to present it to the Judge at the Extension hearing.
      4. This document is the Petitioner’s proof that the Respondent was served with the Order of Protection, and is very important because it shows the court that the Respondent was served.
4. Extension Hearing/Hearing
   1. When you return to court of the date and time indicated on the Order of Protection, go to Court room 307, look for a list with your name on it under the heading “Order of Protection,” go into the Courtroom and wait for the Judge to call your name.
   2. If you ( the Petitioner ) do not appear, the Order will be dismissed. make sure you appear, even if you intend to drop the Order of Protection. This is an important part of the proceedings.
   3. You ( Petitioner ) should bring witnesses and/or proof of the abuse, such as pictures. You may ask the Judge to:
      1. Extend the Order
      2. Charge parts of it; or
      3. Drop the Order.
5. You may bring an attorney, but one is not required.
6. The Respondent may appear with or without an attorney. At this time Respondent will tell his/her part of the story.
7. After hearing statements of both parties, the Judge may end the proceedings or extend the Order of Protection up to two years.
8. Be sure to return for every extension date the Judge sets, even if you want to drop the Order of Protection

Giving a Good Description

You will never be able to remember all of these details about any one suspect you may see.
But remembering as many as possible can be particularly helpful to law enforcement and to your community.

To capture a criminal in these highly mobile times, it is of utmost importance for law enforcement to promptly obtain an accurate description. Following are some of the most important identifiers law enforcement needs to apprehend criminal suspects. Keep this information in mind so that you can give the police an accurate description of any criminal or criminal incident you may observe.

Location information is critical:

1. Observe where you are and the exact location of the crime. Try to remember if you have even seen the suspect in the area before.
2. Note the time as precisely as possible.
3. Observe if the suspect is carrying a weapon and, if so, what type- revolver, handgun, shotgun, knife, etc.
4. If the suspect leaves the scene, note the direction of flight.
5. If the suspect is in a vehicle, note as much of the following information as possible: vehicle type ( auto, truck, van, etc. ); color; make and model; condition ( dirty, damaged, etc. ); and license plate numbers. Note also if the vehicle has no
6. license plates or a “license applied for” sticker in the window.
7. Watch for decoys or accomplices.

A variety of general description information about the suspect should be noted:

1. Sex
2. Race or national origin
3. Age (estimated)
4. Height – use comparisons with your own height, a door, or some other standard measure.
5. Weight (estimated)
6. Build – fat, husky, slim, muscular, etc.

Facial information is also important:

• Hair – note the color, texture, hairline, style; also possible dyes or wigs
• Forehead – note forehead height, and whether the skin is smooth, creased or wrinkled
• Eyes – note the color, shape ( round, slanted ), whether clear or bloodshot, and the heaviness of eyelashes and eyebrows
• Nose-overall shape ( long, wide, flat, etc.) and nostrils ( wide, narrow, flared ) are important
• Cheeks – is the flesh sunken, filled out, dried or oily? Are there wrinkles around the nose or mouth? Are cheek bones high or low,wide or narrow?
• Ears– note size and prominence ( protruding or flat against the head )
• Mouth – are lips thin, medium, full? Do corners turn up, turn down, or level?
• Chin – what is the shape ( round, oval, pointed, square )? Double Chin, dimpled, cleft?
• Neck – note protruding Adam’s apple or hanging jowls
• Complexion – note pores, pockmarks, acne, razor rash, bumps
• Facial hair – clean shaven? unshaven? beard, mustache, goatee, sideburns?
• Tattoos – shape and style; on what part of the body

Clothing information is also very important:

• Hat – note color, style, ornaments, how it is worn ( bill forward, backward, to one side )
• Coat – note color and style ( suit coat, jacket, topcoat, overcoat )
• Shirt/Blouse/Dress – note color, design, sleeves, collar
• Trousers/Slacks/Skirt – note color, style, cuffs
• Socks – note color, pattern, length
• Shoes – note color, style, brand name for sneakers ( if possible ), condition
• Accessories – sweaters, scarf, gloves, necktie
• Jewelry – rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces
• General appearance – neat or sloppy? clean or dirty?
• Oddities – look for clothing to large or too small; odd colors; patchwork

Look for other physical features or peculiarities:

• Voice – pitch, tone, rasp, lisp
• Speech – articulate, uneducated, accent, use of slang
• Gait – slow, fast, limp

Free Credit Report

There is only one source for the free reports, but you can request them on-line, by phone, or by mail.

Here’s how:

On-line: www.annualcreditreport.com
Central Source LLC
P.O. Box 105283
Atlanta, GA 30348-5283

Mail in Form

You can request one, two, or all three reports at a time. It’s up to you. You’ll have to give your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth to get your reports. You may also have to answer some questions with information that only you would know – such as the amount of your monthly mortgage or car payment. This is to protect the security of your credit information.