The Hinsdale Police Department Crime Prevention/D.A.R.E. Unit is proud of the variety of programs and services it offers to the residential and business community of Hinsdale. Our programs include the following:

School Programs
Since 1990 The Hinsdale Police Department has presented the D.A.R.E. Program in all of Hinsdale Grade Schools. Our D.A.R.E. Officers present these D.A.R.E. programs.

D.A.R.E. CORE PROGRAM
Is a 17-week program designed to give young people the facts about drugs and alcohol and provide skills to resist social pressures to experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. The program helps children raise their self-esteem, teach them how to make decisions on their own and help them identify positive alternatives to substance abuse, and other destructive behaviors.

History of D.A.R.E.
In 1990 Longtime Hinsdale Youth Officer Joe Gurak pushed for the D.A.R.E. Program for Hinsdale schools. Officers Joe Gurak & Pete Jirasek implemented the D.A.R.E. Program and both started teaching it in 1990. Officer Mark Mandarino began teaching D.A.R.E. in 1992. Officer Jirasek introduced the D.A.R.E. Jr High program in Spring 1993, and V.E.G.A. (Violence and Gang Education) in Fall 1993.

For more information contact: DARE Officer Coughlin

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V.E.G.A. (Violence Education Gang Awareness)
VEGA is taught to 6th grade students the year after the D.A.R.E. curriculum. It offers prevention strategies to deal with students at risk of gang involment and violence. VEGA meets the goals of the Illionois State mandate to teach violence prevention and conflict resolution skills in all public skills.


Five Principals of VEGA

1. Distrubted Leadership - All students are capable of understanding, learning and performing leadership tasks.
2. Heterogeneous groups - The most effective students groups are those which include different backgrounds, skill levels, physical capabilities, and genders.
3. Positive interdependence and individual accountability- students need to learn to recoginize and value their dependence upon each other. They are expected to participate. We sink or swim together.
4. Social Skill acquisition - Working in a group requires the acquistion of specific social skills which can be taught and learned.
5. Group Autonomy - When students learn to resolve their problems with little or no intervention from the teacher, they become more autonomous and self - sufficient.
   

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1. Child Safety Seat Inspections
   Contact Officer Coughlin at 789-7070 or e-mail
   
   
2. Citizens Police Academy
   Purpose is to give residents the opportunity to learn about police work in general and issues that face Law Enforcement efforts in the Village of Hinsdale. The Academy is hosted at the Hinsdale Police Station and meets for 10 weeks. Participants must be 21 yrs old and be a Hinsdale Resident.
   Topics include: patrol, investigations, juveniles, traffic, and SWAT.
   There is no cost for the program.
   
   
3. Presentations
   • Personal Safety
   • Home Security Surveys
   • Senior Citizen Safety
   • Child Personal Safety (Stranger Danger)
   • Business Presentations
   • Armed Robbery
   • Retail Theft Prevention
   • Bad Check Cases
   • Loss Prevention Site Survey

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• Major Crimes Task Force. The Major Crimes Task Force consists of four teams of highly trained investigators who are mobilized to handle homicides, significant violent crimes, serial crimes and extended surveillances. The Hinsdale Police Department has 2 Investigators assigned to the Major Crimes Task Force.
• Accident Reconstructionist team
• FIAT also provides a special event / field response program. Utilizing this program, agencies can draw from other police departments to provide additional manpower at events such as large community events, street fairs or potential demonstrations.
• FIAT SWAT Team
  A Multi-Jursdictional Team SWAT, Special Weapons And Tactics. The Team consists of nearly 30 members, including Hostage Negotiators, Fire Department Tactical Medics. SWAT Officers are on call 24/7. Most common SWAT Calls are: barricaded gunmen, hostage rescue and armed suicidal subjects.
  The SWAT Team trains on a monthly basis. Screening for team members includes: Recommendation from Department Chief, Panel Interview, Physical fitness test and successful completion of two week SWAT Class. Officers are trained in fully automatic sub-machine guns, assault rifles, and scoped rifles.
  FIAT Website: www.fiatswat.go.to

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