200 S. Hough Street  Barrington, IL 60010 | (847) 304-3400

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Police Department Divisions

Patrol Operations

The Patrol Division is the largest and most visible of all the Police Department’s operational units. Officers are assigned to one of four patrol teams, two daytime shifts and two nighttime shifts. Each team is supervised by a Patrol Sergeant and works a 12-hour shift to provide 24 hour services to the community. 

Through the cooperation and assistance of residents, business operators, and visitors, the Patrol Division responds to emergency and non-emergency calls for service, as well as self-initiated activities and extra patrol requests. The primary responsibility of Patrol Officers is the prevention and investigation of all criminal and traffic related matters in the village. Personnel also help protect property and personal safety, render aid, mediate disputes, assist with civil matters, and assist other law enforcement agencies and village departments when necessary.

Many common tasks, which previously had to be done in the station, are now accomplished in the officer’s squad car, due to advances in technology. Officers can complete traffic crash and case reports, review in-car video, and check criminal and driver’s license history from their squad vehicles.

Some officers have specialized areas of training and serve in the following capacities:

  • Financial Crimes
  • Traffic Enforcement
  • Overweight Truck Enforcement
  • Field Training Officer
  • Major Traffic Crash Investigation Team
  • Police Honor Guard
  • Tactical Team Member

Criminal Investigations

The Criminal Investigations Division works with the Patrol Division to conduct comprehensive follow-up investigations on criminal activity. Investigations include misdemeanor and felony offenses reported or discovered in the Village. Multi-agency investigations are also coordinated by the Detective Sergeant with other law enforcement agencies, including municipal, county, state and federal agencies, including regional special enforcement groups targeting drug and vehicle theft activities.

Areas of specialization within the investigations division include:

  • Electronic Communications
  • Juvenile Specialist
  • School Resource Officer
  • Crime Prevention
  • MCAT – Major Case Assistance Team

The Barrington Police Department is also affiliated with the Cook County Major Case Assistance Team, which draws resources from numerous regional police agencies in the event of a significant criminal event that exceeds the resources of one department.

Department Administration

The Administration Division includes the Chief of Police who serves as the manager for Departmental operations and as a member of the Village’s management team. Administration oversees the operations and management of all Divisions within the Department and provides administrative support services to each of these Divisions. The Administrative Division also manages community relations for the Department by interacting with citizen’s groups and engaging in public relations crime prevention. 

Emergency Communications

The Emergency Communications Center responsible for receiving all 9-1-1 telephone calls for service is Northwest Central Dispatch System(NWCDS). NWCDS handles calls and radio traffic for several communities in northwest suburban Chicago.

Records Division

The Barrington Police Department’s Records Division is open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Staff tracks and records all documents generated by police personnel, including traffic and parking citations, case reports, and traffic crash reports. They also process requests such as for overnight parking and overweight truck permits, in addition to managing the lobby reception desk.

Special Teams

Officers may also be assigned to specialized, multi-jurisdictional teams, comprised of personnel from other law enforcement agencies. These teams include the following:

Northern Illinois Police Alarm System

The Barrington Police Department is one of over 90 suburban communities who participate in membership in this organization, designed to provide assistance in times of severe natural disasters or sizeable criminal events. Two specialized team are a part of this system:

The Emergency Services Team

This unit is deployed for hostage incidents, high risk warrant services or other tactical incidents.

The Mobile Field Force

This team is utilized to control sizeable crowds during demonstrations, civil disturbances, or large conflicts.

Cook County Major Case Assistance Team

This group of Investigators assists with major investigations such as homicides and other intricate cases which may rapidly evolve.

Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team

Four of Barrington’s officers are trained as traffic crash investigators and are members of this unit which is called to document and collect evidence in serious or fatal vehicle crashes.

Lake County IMAT (Incident Management Assistance Team)

Assist with incident action plan development, disaster management, and cost containment.