Chief’s Blog

The Rochester Police Department’s ability to get information out to the public quickly and accurately has been enhanced tremendously through the use of our Facebook and Twitter accounts. The department currently has 779 individuals who follow the department’s Facebook account, and 109 followers on Twitter.  The department utilizes these sites to keep our followers aware of  important public safety information and of criminal activity the Village is experiencing. These social networking accounts enable the department to send out updates and alerts directly to the public, and in a very timely manner.

The effectiveness of any police department is dramatically enhanced when they partner with their citizens. Frequently we receive calls prefaced by the statement, “I know your busy, but…” – Through these new tools, we are trying to capture this information the public, at times, is reluctant to share with us. The information provided by an informed and alert community is one of the greatest assets any police department can ask for. Citizen participation in this process is not only rewarding for the citizen but for the community as well; this helps to make our neighborhoods safer, more vigilant, and a safer place to raise our families.

Due to the high volume of traffic we are experiencing at the Rochester Community Park, the Village of Rochester has begun to place additional “No Parking” signs in various spots along Wild Rose Lane.

These signs are being placed to reduce the amount of congestion in areas of high foot traffic in order to enhance the visibility of pedestrians crossing the roadway. In addition, these signs will also ensure that the roadways remain clear to accommodate emergency vehicles should a medical or police emergency occur.

The Village has posted signs and designated the grass lot just off Ebel Drive, near the entrance of the park, as overflow parking to accommodate additional vehicles.

I have asked our Officers to increase their presence at the park during these busy times and enforce “No Parking” signs as well as the posted “One Way” sign on Wild Rose Lane.

The safety of our children and our citizens is our primary mission. I am asking for your assistance to help us resolve this issued by obeying traffic signs and utilizing the grass overflow lot when paved parking is full.

Respectfully,

William Marass

Chief of Police

(217) 498-8424

[email protected]

On Wednesday April 27th, the department concluded its first Youth Police Academy. The Academy met every Wednesday night during the month of April for a total of four sessions with each session lasting about two and a half hours.

The Academy gave students the opportunity to learn from experienced officers in a hands-on environment and addressed many different aspects of law enforcement.

Some of the topics discussed included reaction time, officer safety, use of force, handcuffing techniques, crime scene processing, traffic stops, and  lifting and reading fingerprints. On the final day of the class, students had the opportunity to test everything that they had learned by conducing scenario-based training.

We were very pleased with the young men involved in the program and their willingness to apply themselves; we are currently discussing plans for similar programs in the future.

Welcome to our new web site! We are proud to be able to offer you access to this new hub of information and resources! Through the years we have received frequent requests for information and these requests were taken into consideration with the development of this site.

We wanted to design this website with public feedback in mind. We continually strive to provide a better service to the public we serve, which is why we have integrated the ability to receive your input through our tip line, citizen’s suggestion box, and our officer contact survey. We would like to know what we can do better and how our officers are interacting with you.

We have also woven into the fabric of this site our core values, the history of our department, the officers who forged the organization we have today, and the value system we have built. This enables the public to better understand our department, how we operate, and the high ethical and moral standards we adhere to.

Finally, a special thanks to Matthew Marass whose foresight, vision, and hard work made this web site a reality.