La Grange Traffic Tickets Drop A Lot: State Reports

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange police are issuing far fewer traffic tickets than they used to, a state database shows.

In 2023, the village gave 458 tickets, far fewer than the 2,800 in 2009.

From 2020 to 2022, the village failed to turn in state-mandated annual traffic stop reports.

In response to a Patch inquiry, Village Manager Jack Knight said the village did not report accurate numbers for certain years because of technological issues with its software. He provided new numbers going back to 2020.

According to the village's reports to the state, local police made 1,963 traffic stops in 2023. However, Knight said 3,386 stops were actually made that year. That would be less than the 2,910 in 2015 and the 6,061 in 2011.

Knight maintained the village issued 655 tickets in 2023, far higher than the 458 reported to the state.

"The department continues to prioritize traffic and pedestrian safety in their daily operations," Knight said in an email to Patch. "Traffic stops are currently up over 30% compared to 2023."

Since August 2023, he said, officers have been assigned to traffic enforcement at specific places, including downtown during peak times.

"Public engagement has been a focus, with a series of new community engagement programs," Knight said. "Residents are invited and encouraged to come and meet our officers at any of our events to discuss police-related concerns."

In April 2023, Lou Gale, a village trustee, encouraged the police chief to push for more traffic enforcement.

"Chief, light these people up. Write some tickets," Gale said at a Village Board meeting. "I don't know whether we have a reputation as a place that writes too many tickets. I wouldn't mind that for a while if we have pedestrian safety issues."

Patch asked Gale earlier this month about the village's effort.

"My understanding is that we've increased our enforcement this year," Gale said in an email. "The anecdotal stories I've heard from residents bear that out, and I'm glad to have heard that positive feedback. I'm also proud of our officers and how hard they work on enforcement throughout the Village, including places like La Grange Road and dealing with the construction at 47th Street and East Avenue. They do great work under difficult circumstances."

Neighboring Western Springs has seen a similar decline in tickets over the years.

Here are La Grange's numbers:

Source: Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic Stop Statistical Studies

Here are numbers provided by La Grange Village Manager Jack Knight, who said some of the previous information provided to the state was inaccurate: