Burr Ridge Police May Hire Social Worker

BURR RIDGE, IL – The Burr Ridge Police Department hopes to contract with a licensed social worker in the next year.

The person would help with calls involving mental health issues, domestic relations, drug and alcohol abuse, and elder problems such as neglect and hoarding, according to the department.

The village is looking at a plan where the department would share the social worker with three other towns, with Hinsdale mentioned as one of them.

Each community would get the person for 10 hours.

"Social workers have been successful in surrounding towns," Police Chief Marc Loftus told the Village Board on Monday. "It's something we'd like to go forward with."

The village could start with 10 hours, but may expand that schedule if there is a proven need, he said.

Each year, the village gets about 100 domestic violence calls, with three to eight arrests, the chief said.

The social worker, Loftus said, could offer services to those in domestic violence cases that the police cannot.

Trustee Anita Mital asked whether a social worker would likely identify red flags in situations such as a recent one.

Loftus replied, "Yes, I think it would help."

Mital was likely referring to the Burr Ridge man who police arrested a few days ago in his mother's killing. He faces a charge of first-degree murder.