Western Springs Tickets Plunge Over Years: Reports

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – Western Springs police officers gave about 300 traffic tickets last year, far fewer than what they issued before the pandemic, a state database shows.

In the five pre-pandemic years, the number of tickets ranged from 455 to 754. In 2012 and 2014, local officers wrote more than 1,200 citations.

But the number fell a lot in the 2020s, to a low of 129 in 2022, about one every three days, according to the village's reports to the state.

In 2020 and 2023, police reported about 1,400 traffic stops. But in most years over the last decade, the number of stops has generally ranged from 2,200 to 2,700 a year.

As for traffic tickets, neighboring La Grange has seen a similar decline over the years.

Earlier this month, the village of Western Springs told Patch it had made 1,715 traffic stops and issued 390 citations year to date. That means sizable increases in both categories from 2023.

"While this is an important aspect of policing, it is only one of many ways that the (police department) works to keep the community safe," the village's spokeswoman, Selmin Cicek, said in an email.

Here are other things that Cicek said the police department has done recently:

• Started foot patrols downtown this year, with officers checking secured doors and assessing the well-being of businesses. "The WSPD engages in problem-oriented policing initiatives. Officers pursue a resident or self-identified issue with the goal to improve quality of life in the community. This year, twelve such projects were undertaken within the Department, yielding very positive results," Cicek said.
• Created a hybrid detective and community policing officer position this year to focus on tasks such as active shooter training, education of seniors on potential scams and National Night Out, among others.
• Teamed up with a clinical social worker, who provides social services to residents or anyone in the area who is in crisis.
• Achieved a Tier 2 rating in the 2024 evaluation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The police department is among only 40 law enforcement agencies in Illinois and less than 7 percent in the United States with such an accreditation.

Source: Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic Stop Statistical Studies