The St. Charles Police Department wanted to share the important tenets they work under every day to illustrate who they are as a department and clarify how they practice law enforcement in our community:
We Prohibit Excessive Use of Force
The St. Charles Police Department prohibits the use of excessive force and operates according to professional standards of behavior as outlined by the National Accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). All Police Department standards, policies, and procedures are industry best practices and reviewed annually by outside experts in the field. In addition, the Department has received Federal Use of Force Certification from the U.S. Department of Justice, which recognizes standards met on use of force, as part of Executive Order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities. Read the certification letter here.
Specifically:
- Chokeholds or other moves to restrict breathing are strictly prohibited.
- Any force an officer uses must be reasonable, justified and necessary. All of use of force incidents are documented, reviewed, and investigated by the Police Department command team.
- St. Charles Police Officers regularly train for de-escalation techniques, including scenario-based training, to diffuse a situation. Other de-escalation strategies are components in most aspects of officer training. In addition, many officers also are certified in crisis intervention.
- Early-warning procedures are in place that monitor behavior in the Department; any potential issues are addressed immediately. All of our officers are provided emotional support from our Employee Assistance Program, our Chaplin Program, and once a year are mandated to visit with an emotional support professional.
We Reject All Forms of Discrimination
The primary mission of the St. Charles Police Department is to provide public safety for all of our citizens, no matter race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.
- We have a zero-tolerance approach toward racial profiling and have a policy against biased-based policing.
- Vehicle and pedestrian stops are sent to an outside entity that reviews enforcement from a gender, race, and bias perspective.
In July 2019, St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan and the St. Charles Police Department formally adopted Ten Shared Principles affirmed by both the Illinois State Conference of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. Among the values reflected in the Ten Principles are:
- Ensure that every life is valued and all persons shall be treated with respect and dignity.
- Require de-escalation training.
- Reject all forms of discrimination.
- Support fair and impartial justice.
- Endorse community policing to build relationships and trust.
Read the full list of Ten Shared Principles of the IL NACCP & IACP here.
We Utilize a Police Social Worker
Since 2014, St. Charles has utilized a police social worker to offer access to crisis intervention, mental health, or other social services. We have a full-time social worker and 24-hour system in place to respond to crisis situations. Read about the Police Social Worker here.
We are an Active Part of the Community
The Police Department regularly conducts several community education and outreach programs, and organizes several fundraising events for Special Olympics Illinois. Read about them here.
We’re Listening
Our residents consistently rank our police services highly in resident surveys (91% in the 2020 Survey). If you ever have an issue, please feel free to reach out to the Police Department either by phone 630.377.4435, email police@stcharlesil.gov.
