Law enforcement

Police from across Will County joined a ceremony on Thursday honoring the 38 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty since 1865.

A ceremony was held in downtown Joliet for the 44th Annual Will County Law Enforcement Memorial Day at 14 W. Jefferson St. on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Police officers from various departments and local government and law enforcement officials participated.

In anticipation of Dixon Police Chief Steve Howell’s retirement, Dixon Deputy Chief Doug Lehman was sworn in as interim chief Monday, May 5. The new police chief will be selected in the first week of June by a committee of 10 community members.

Some 200 people gathered in prayer on the north lawn of the Kankakee County Courthouse last week to mark the national Day of Prayer.

Channahon Village Hall and the Channahon Police Department have been given the all clear after being evacuated Monday due to a suspicious package.

A 30-year-old man is in police custody and a house has been deemed uninhabitable after a domestic disturbance Saturday in Frankfort Township.

After testimony by Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe and Harris’ defense attorney Cierra Norris on Thursday, Bradshaw-Elliott found Xandria Harris in direct criminal contempt of court.

Schools in Will and Kankakee counties react to series of bus vandalism incidents with increased security measures for their vehicle fleets, while law enforcement continues investigations.

Stefan Bjes, who has more than two decades of law enforcement experience, will start as security director for Plainfield schools on May 27.

Schools in Will and Kankakee counties react to series of bus vandalism incidents with increased security measures for their vehicle fleets, while law enforcement continues investigations.

Benito Delgado, 35, of Joliet, was arrested and charged for allegedly robbing the BMO bank in downtown Joliet on Monday.

School districts should conduct the most thorough background checks available when hiring new employees, columnist Tom Weitzel mantains

The Grundy County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that it has arrested a 17-year-old who had allegedly stolen a firearm in Peru after a pursuit that ended near Arby's on Route 6 in Morris.

Kane, a full-service K-9 who will be working alongside Deputy Jacob Wilging, joins the department to assist in a variety of law enforcement functions.

A Crest Hill man died from cocaine intoxication at a hospital in 2024 and the Joliet police officers who briefly handcuffed him for erratic behavior will face no charges over the incident. 

Dax, a purebred Belgian malinois, is the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s newest K-9 officer. He went out on his first patrol Sunday, April 6, 2025, with his partner, Deputy Justin Hart of Amboy.

A special prosecutor has been reviewing a case where a Will County Sheriff’s Office correctional deputy was alleged to have used “excessive force while on duty,” court records show.

The Joliet Police Department is partnering with more than 200 local law enforcement agencies to step up enforcement during Distracted Driving Awareness month.

A major bust in Lockport has led to 16 felony charges filed against man accused of possessing cocaine, methamphetamine and AR-15 rifles, one of which is a “ghost” or unserialized version of the rifle, records show.

A Frankfort man has been arrested on an indecent solicitation of a child charge following a sting operation by Predator Poachers Southeast Texas, court records show. 

A Joliet police detective is seeking to use the report of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office investigation of the police department in his federal racial discrimination lawsuit.

A Shorewood driver allegedly didn’t think it was a “big deal” to let his 2-year-old son drive the vehicle, honk the horn and play the radio while the vehicle was in motion, police said.

Tom Weitzel examines whether Trump administration policies will benefit the law enforcement community

The campaign was held from Friday, Feb. 7, through Monday, Feb. 10.

A closed-door hearing was held at Joliet City Hall regarding a police chief’s recommendation to fire an officer facing three lawsuits over a 2024 pursuit that led to a crash. 

A judge ruled a Will County sheriff’s deputy conducted an unlawful search of a vehicle that led to the arrest of a Lockport Township man on felony gun possession charges.

A former Joliet housing official could avoid convictions on his record if he successfully completes his sentences in cases concerning cocaine possession and violation of a no-contact order.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said a body found near a creek in a wooded area in Crete been identified as that of 18-year-old who had been missing since Feb. 6.

A Joliet grocery store and several restaurants were closed for one day as part of a nationwide protest in solidarity with immigrants in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

Joliet Democrat Rachel Ventura introduced a measure in the Illinois Senate to ensure that the odor of raw or burnt cannabis alone could not be a reason for police to search a vehicle.

The family of a hostage taker who was killed by a Will County sheriff’s lieutenant in 2022 said they feel a “sense of profound injustice” after learning the lieutenant won’t face charges.

One man has been detained after Joliet police SWAT team members, detectives officers executed a search warrant in Elizabeth Court in Crest Hill.

Will County schools, agencies respond to President Donald Trump's executive order declaring the Department of Justice will investigate or prosecute agencies which do not comply with immigration enforcement officers.

Sheriffs from across the Sauk Valley said state law forbids them from assisting with newly sworn-in President Donald Trump’s promise to “launch the largest deportation program in American history.”

The Illinois State Police reports recovering 245 stolen and/or hijacked vehicles from October through December.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a phone call scam involving alleged outstanding warrants and missed jury duty.

In just two short years, we are proud to have graduated six community law enforcement officers’ classes. In 2025, we will have surpassed 200 graduates.

The Sterling City Council swore in two new police officers and two new firefighters during a City Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public of an imposter scam that deputies were recently made aware of.

K9 Nemo, a Dutch Sheppard who is almost 8 years old, began his career in May 2019.

The Fulton City Council during a special session Thursday night selected Chad Hermes to replace Chief Nick Neblung when he leaves the position in January. Hermes started his career in Rock Falls and has also served in Albany and Morrison.

The Lakewood Village Board voted against the police department getting a Telsa electric squad car, which was touted as a would-be first in McHenry County.

The Joliet Police Department has a pattern of engaging in unreasonable force that is “not limited to any one type of force, tactic, or context” and is a violation of constitutional rights, according to a report released Thursday by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Mayor Wendy Ottens' letter of resignation, which was read at the council’s Nov. 25 meeting, was approved as were the resignation of Police Chief Nick Neblung and Business Manager Tammy Garibay’s retirement.

A man who was going to be jailed for allegedly failing a drug test ran out of the Will County Courthouse in Joliet but was caught at a parking garage, police said.

Homer Glen residents Alexa Balen and Edward Weiher have once again been denied pretrial release after the Will County State's Attorney's office revealed new information regarding the overdose death of the couple's 2-year-old daughter.

The pre-trial detention hearing for Alexa Balen, the Homer Glen woman accused of child endangerment after the death of her 2-year-old daughter, has been postponed to give Balen more time to find an attorney.

Forensic pathologist says Jackson Kradle, a teenager whose body was found in the early morning hours of July 28 on a highway north of Mount Carroll, died as the result of a motor vehicle-pedestrian crash.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said it has been informed that residents have received calls claiming they missed jury duty or have a warrant out for their arrest. This is a scam.

A Lockport man was arrested after he was accused of committing sex crimes against multiple teens from the states of New York, Washington and Illinois. Police also recovered 17 firearms from his home.