Crime Prevention - Community Relations


The Oak Brook Police Department's charge is To Protect and To Serve our Community. We always encourage community members to call upon us for help and report any type of crime ranging from suspicious activity to home burglaries. One crime that is sometimes overlooked and not reported is domestic violence.

Police officers having a conversation while standing next to a police vehicle

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)

The Oak Brook Police Department is pleased to continue educating the young members of our community in drug awareness and prevention. Crime Prevention DARE is instrumental in teaching students how to make positive decisions, reduce stress, and effectively communicate. This successful program not only educates students on the most common types of drugs, but how drugs effect health and how to say No.

A growing epidemic in suburban areas is the availability and usage of heroin. 

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a very sensitive issue to anyone who has experienced abuse. From the victim who suffers the physical and or mental abuse, to any family member who may have witnessed abuse, domestic violence can destroy the family unit. Domestic violence knows no cultural boundaries or economical distinctions. We encourage anyone who is a victim of this crime to contact the Oak Brook Police Department. Personal information is held in the strictness confidence and we have compassionate officers trained to provide assistance.

Other Agencies Assistance

We also obtain professional assistance from other agencies in our area. One agency is the Family Shelter Service (FSS) in Glen Ellyn. FFS offers the following: Call a 24-hour Hotline at (800) 469-5650 for immediate access to information and services.

Counseling and support groups help families cope with the effects of domestic violence and is available to all victims; women, children, men, and elderly.

Court advocates provide support and information about legal options.

Immediate safety for domestic violence victims and their children.

How to Report Terrorist Activity

Please view The Federal Bureau of Investigation and fill out the tips and leads form.

Current Scams

Here are a few scams that have been reported to law enforcement agencies across the country:

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Telephone Scam

A recent phone scam reported throughout Illinois is the IRS Telephone Scam. Callers claim to be from the IRS and tell victims they owe taxes and must pay immediately using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The scammers will then threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation, or loss of home, business or driver's license.

Callers who commit this fraud may:

  1. Have a common name and fake IRS badge number
  2. Know the last four digits of your social security number
  3. Make caller identification appear as if it is the IRS
  4. Send an email to you about the conversation
  5. Call a subsequent time, claiming to be the police or Secretary of State

If you receive a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS:

  1. If you owe taxes or think you may owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040
  2. If you don't owe or don't think you owe taxes, call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General at 800-366-4484
  3. File a complaint with your local police department
  4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Be sure to indicate in your comments that it is an IRS Telephone Scam

The IRS will usually contact people by mail, not telephone, about unpaid taxes. For additional information, visit the IRS website.

Debit Card Phone Scam

There has been a resurgence of the Debit Card Phone Scam in several counties throughout Illinois. This scam can target anyone with a debit or credit card.

In this scam:

  1. Your telephone (either home or cell phone) rings, with the caller identification showing Not Available or Private Number.
  2. An automated recording states, "Your debit card account has been breached. You need to reset your account by following these steps. Press 1 to begin.
  3. After pressing 1, a computer system is activated, and the customer is told to enter the 16 digit debit/credit card number, expiration date, the 3 digit code on the back of the card, and the 4 digit pin.

At this point, the perpetrator of the scam has all the information he/she needs to access and use your account.

To protect yourself, never give out personal information over the phone, including passwords or pin numbers. If you believe you have been involved in this or any type of scam, contact the Police Department and make report. Also report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Grandparent Scam

This scam targets the elderly population and is an attempt to extract hundreds, even thousands, of dollars from victims. Offenders will use the notion a relative, typically a grandchild, is in distress and needs money wired to an account immediately. Some of the scams include: 1) Arrested after a wedding or social event; 2) Involved in a terrible accident overseas; 3) Had car trouble; 4) Stuck in a foreign airport and needs money to pay customs. The idea is that your grandchild will sound like yours (same gender, similar age), may use your relative's name, and may have some personal information about you or your family. The grandchild will beg you not to tell their parents in order to delay discovery, and then another person gets on the phone to provide you with details to wire the money.

You can protect yourself by following these steps:

  1. Resist the urge to act quickly. These offenders will pressure you into thinking there is not a lot of time, and try to rush you into action. By slowing it down, you allow yourself time to think clearly.
  2. Ask questions. Offenders may know some personal information, including where you live and relative's names, but they probably will not know their childhood pet or where they were born.
  3. Ask for a phone number. Your grandchild will not be hesitant to provide you with the number, and if the other offender claims to be a doctor or police officer, they will provide you with the main number to the hospital or police department.
  4. Have a rule that you never wire money based on a telephone or email request, especially overseas.

Ruse Burglary

This scam can target any homeowner, but offenders typically target the elderly population. Offenders will approach the victim either outside their home or knock on the front door. One offender will attempt to distract the homeowner by luring him/her outside to observe a problem, or to a different part of the home, like a basement. The second or third offender(s) will enter the home through a different door and steal cash, jewelry, or other items.

Some of the common reasons offenders use to make entry to your home include:

  1. Check water supply or pressure
  2. Asks about homes for sale in the area
  3. Advises there is an electrical problem in the area
  4. Offers to repair gutters, fences, trim trees, or driveway
  5. Posing as a utility employee or Village representative

You can protect yourself by:

  1. Keeping doors, including screen doors, locked and not granting entry to anyone you do not know. &nbsp;If you do choose to speak to anyone, talk through a locked screen door.
  2. Check credentials of anyone claiming to be a utility worker or Village employee.
  3. If someone enters onto your property, it could be an attempt to lure you out of your house and away from your valuables, so either ensure your other doors are locked or call 911 to have an Officer respond.
  4. Lock up your valuables. Offenders like to target the elderly because they have had many years to acquire jewelry and cash.

Smart 911

When calling 911, every second counts. 911 operators receive minimal information about you, typically the telephone number you called from and your general location. Having critical information about you and your family available to the 911 operator can make all the difference in expediting Police, Fire, or Emergency Medical Services response. Du-Comm offers a new service through Smart 911 that securely stores your personal and medical information. Registration and use of this service is free, supported by existing 911 fees. Register for Smart 911.