In case of Emergency, Dial 911

In case of Non-Emergency, dial (708) 453-2121

Special Announcements

September 30, 2020

Smart 911

The Village of River Grove and our dispatch center (NORCOMM) are Smart 911 compatible. By registering online at:  https://www.smart911.com, subscribers can provide 9-1-1 call takers and first responders critical information you want them to know in any kind of emergency.

After subscribing, if you ever call 9-1-1, your Smart911 Safety Profile displays on the 9-1-1 screen and the 9-1-1 call takers can view your addresses, medical information, home information, description of pets and vehicles, and emergency contacts. You can provide as much or as little information as you like. Smart911 is a national service meaning your Smart911 Safety Profile travels with you and is visible to any participating 9-1-1 center nationwide. Subscribing to this service is free of charge.

July 29, 2020

A Statement from the Illinois Department of Agriculture regarding the mailing of unsolicited seeds:

“We are currently working with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to address reports of unsolicited shipments of seeds from foreign countries. Anyone who receives unordered seeds in the mail should contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture by emailing the following information to agr.seeds@Illinois.gov: First and Last Name, Phone Number and the number of packages received. Do not open the package, plant the seeds, or throw them out. Please keep all seeds unopened and with their original packaging and labels, including mailing labels, until further instruction is provided.”

Unemployment Debit Card Scam (shared from WTTW News website, published online July 22, 2020, and authored by Kristen Thometz):

State officials announced Wednesday they are investigating a nationwide fraud schemed linked to each state’s federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security says it has uncovered and is investigating “a widespread fraud scheme being conducted nationwide,” impacting the federally funded PUA program implemented as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The program provides benefits for many individuals, including self-employed workers and independent contractors who have become unemployed as a direct result of COVID-19.

IDES says it is “aggressively cracking down on this fraud network,” and is working with local and federal law enforcement to investigate, pursue and prosecute those defrauding the unemployment insurance system.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the fraud scheme was not the result of a breach of IDES’ systems. Fraudsters are applying for unemployment insurance using names and identities that had likely been stolen during past massive security breaches, like the 2017 Equifax breach, according to Pritzker.

IDES says the data breach in May that briefly allowed public access to applicants’ personal information was limited to one PUA claimant who was able to inadvertently access the information of a limited number of others who had already filed an unemployment claim.

If you received a letter about unemployment insurance from IDES or a debit card but didn’t apply for unemployment, you’re likely a victim of fraud, Pritzker said.

In those cases, do not activate the card, he said. Instead, contact IDES immediately at 800-814-0513 and take the following steps when prompted:

— Select the English or Spanish language option;
— Select option 1 for claimants;
— Select option 5 to report identity theft

Officials also recommend checking your credit report for possible suspicious activity and posting a fraud alert. For more information on recognizing and reporting identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website (www.ftc.gov).

June 8, 2020:

Beginning 7/1/2020 village sticker enforcement will begin for vehicles with expired village stickers (the current sticker is good through the end of the day on June 30th, 2020).  July 1st is when all vehicles are required to display the current with village sticker.  Village stickers can be purchased by visiting the village hall, or through the mail.

Beginning 7/1/2020 parking enforcement for street maintenance will resume.  Now, and throughout the month of June, will be a good time to familiarize yourself with the street maintenance signs posted on your block.

Also, officers have been authorized to enforce the updated ordinance that prohibits vehicles parking in such a way that it prohibits the normal flow of pedestrian traffic walking on a sidewalk.  In other words, if your vehicle is parked in such a way that it completely or partially blocks a sidewalk, you could receive a citation.

The police department will continue to maintain and monitor the non-emergency police email address, established during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

NON-EMERGENCY emails may be sent to:  RGPD311@rivergroveil.gov

When emailing the police department, please provide the following information:  Your name, your address, the nature of your call and the best available call back number.  Messages will be returned via email or via telephone in a timely manner, and in the order in which they were received.  For practical purposes, non-emergency issues should be considered a matter that does not require the immediate presence of a police officer.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life by maintaining order, protecting life and property, and reducing the fear of crime. We are partners with the community in identifying needs and solving problems while respecting the constitutional rights of all.

Crime Prevention Tips & Victim Resources

Just click on the highlighted web link below to be taken to that website.

Senior Living: Common Scams that target the elderly (Click Here)

What to do if your cell phone is stolen (Click Here)

Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Complaint On-line Submission Form (Click Here)

Illinois Attorney General, Identity Theft Hotline and Information (Click Here)

Consumer Affairs, Identity Theft Protection (Click Here)

National Crime Prevention Council, Crime Prevention & Safety Tips (Click Here)

Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Protection Information (Click Here)

National Fraud Information Center, Fraud Prevention Tips (Click Here)

EPay Online Payments

The following violations may be paid online for your convenience:

• Ordinance violations C ticket No Court Appearance. These $75 tickets increase to $150 if not paid within ten (10) days of being issued.
• Parking Tickets are $50 but increase to $75 if not paid before the due date on the ticket.

Traffic Enforcement

Regulating parking and traffic related issues in River Grove are of high importance, and the officers of River Grove are extremely dedicated to keeping our streets safe. Under the chief’s directive, there is an increased presence for parking/traffic enforcement. To avoid receiving a citation please, buckle-up, obey our parking signs, obey our traffic control devices, and our speed limits. Impaired and distracted driving is also illegal so avoid operating a vehicle when impaired and put the electronic devices down when operating a vehicle.

Street Sweeping Rule

The Village of River Grove has moved from a periodic street sweeping schedule to an all year round street maintenance schedule. This change will allow our public works department frequent access to streets for sweeping, snow removal, sewer maintenance, tree maintenance and more. Please familiarize yourself with the updated street signs on your block.

Snowfall Exception

During a snowstorm, it is important that all residents obey their street sign. If during a snow fall your side of the street is scheduled for street maintenance, the street maintenance rule will override the 2-inch postings rule. After your side of the street is cleared of snow, residents need to move their vehicles to the clean side of the street so that River Grove Public Works can plow the other side of the street.

No Truck Route Added

In a continued effort to control high volume truck traffic in residential areas, the Village Board recently designated Fullerton Avenue (West of River Road) as a no-truck route.

Red Light Cameras

These cameras are traffic enforcement devices that capture an image of a vehicle which has entered an intersection against a red traffic light. By automatically photographing vehicles that run red lights, the camera produces evidence that assist authorities in their enforcement of traffic laws. The camera is triggered when a vehicle enters the intersection after the light has turned red. Vehicles must come to a complete stop before the white lines. A law enforcement official will review photographic evidence and determine whether a violation occurred. A citation is then mailed to the owner of the vehicle found to be in violation of the law.

Red Light Camera Locations

The village uses these traffic enforcement cameras in three places:

• Grand Avenue eastbound at Thatcher Avenue
• Thatcher Avenue southbound at Grand Avenue
• River Road southbound at Grand Avenue

Curfew

Our Police Department takes a proactive position on curfew violations. Children under 17 years of age have a curfew of 10:30 p.m. until 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. We ask parents to please have your children obey the curfew laws to avoid receiving a local ordinance citation with a mandatory hearing date.

Hand Held Electronic Devices

On July 1, 2019, the Illinois law, regarding distracted driving, was enhanced to increase penalties and to make this offense a moving violation. In Illinois, a driver who receives three moving violations in a 12 month period is subject to having their driver’s license suspended, receive a citation for this offense not counts towards a suspension. The driver of any vehicle is prohibited from using a hand-held cellular phone or other electronic communication devices while operating a motor vehicle.  Operating a motor vehicle is not only defined as physically driving, but a driver is also operating a motor vehicle when completely stopped in traffic at a traffic light, for example. In that case, if a driver is even holding an electronic communication or a similar device, the driver could be ticketed under the law. The use of hands-fee talking devices is acceptable in most case (there are exceptions), but to help prevent distractions with novice drivers, those persons 18 years and younger may not use a hands-free device at all.