• South Jacksonville Police finish in 2nd place Aug 22, 2003

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The Illinois Traffic Safety Program is designed to recognize law enforcement agencies for their efforts throughout the year as they address traffic safety issues in their jurisdictions. It is well documented that the top three causes of serious injuries and deaths on America's roadways are Impaired Driving, Speeding, and Failure to use Occupant Restraints. Agencies are asked  to provide certain policies, discuss and document officer training, elaborate on their public information and education efforts, report on their enforcement activities, and articulate how effective they believe their efforts were in these areas. However, it is important to remember that the true goal of the program is not to give out awards. An agency that participates in the program is forced to take a hard, honest look at what they are, but sometimes more importantly, what they are not doing to address highway safety.

In the end, the real winners are the jurisdictions served by each and every entrant. by their participation, each agency is acknowledging the importance of traffic safety, and making real efforts to increase seat belt/child seat use, target impaired driving, reduce speed violations, and update officer training, through enforcement and education. 

The Illinois Chiefs Traffic Committee

• Highlights of an article published in Journal-Courier May 22,03

South Jacksonville police take part in ethics training

South Jacksonville police officers Wednesday night acted as test subjects for a series of training scenarios emphasizing ethics in the field. The training method consists of 52 scenarios that deal with situations a police officer may encounter. The scenarios are read by officers, who respond verbally within an open group setting. The officers' responses can indicate an ethical problem within the police force that the sheriff or police chief could then work to correct.

 "It can work as self-actualization for the officer," said Patricia Rushing, a deputy director for the IL Regional Institute for Community Policing, who helped conduct the pilot training session with  South Jacksonville Police Chief Richard Evans.

The South Jacksonville police officers are one of only two test groups in the state. The second test-training session will be conducted in Cook County. South Jacksonville was chosen by the IRICP as a test site due to Chief Evans close connection with the agency.

Before Wednesday night, the method of training had not been used in law enforcement groups anywhere in the nation; however, the idea of using common job scenarios to engage employees in talk about procedure and ethics has been used in the past by hospitals nation wide, said Ms. Rushing.

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