IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITYOn behalf of the dedicated men and women of the Chatham Police Department, I want to welcome and thank you for visiting our website.
Here, you will find a wide variety of information about our department, along with many resources about crime prevention and safety. You will also find information on the many services and programs that we provide for the good and betterment of our community. We play a very active role here and take great pride in honorably serving this community. Our mission is to make a positive impact and a difference through the many programs and services we provide. To name a few, we hold an annual bicycle rodeo for kids, an annual Junior Police Academy for kids, and an annual food drive to raise food supplies for our local food pantry. I hope you familiarize yourself with the information on our website and partner with us in keeping Chatham a great and safe place to live and raise a family.
The Chatham Police Department prides itself on treating all citizens with dignity and respect, and we provide fair and impartial police services to anyone we come into contact with. We are always looking for ways to improve, and we welcome your feedback on how we can provide better service to you. Please feel comfortable sharing any comments, suggestions, and ideas you may have to help us accomplish this. To share them with me, simply send me an email at vernf@chathamil.gov or call (217)483-2453 and ask for me. I look forward to hearing anything you may have to help make us better able to serve you.
Respectfully,
Vernon Foli
Chief of Police
Administration & Staff | Vernon Foli - Chief of Police |
1st Line Supervisors | Mark Poani - Sergeant |
Specialized Positions | Jake Bouldin - K-9 Officer |
Patrol Officers | Travis Lascody - Officer | Adam Hahn - Officer |
Dispatchers | Taylor Fuda |
In 1881, Police Magistrate, S.S. Sabine, was the first documented law enforcement official with the Village of Chatham. Since then, the Chatham Police Department has made many advances.
The Chatham Police Department has gone from a Town Constable directed department, to an Assistance Chief led department, and later moved into a Chief of Police led department. Many years ago, all of the Village of Chatham Trustees were commissioned officers and given the authority to carry a sidearm.
As time went on, the Chatham Police Department grew and improved with the rapidly growing Village. In the 1970’s, the Chatham Police Department was re-evaluated. The population was around 5,000 and the Village only employed 4 police officers, 1 full-time. Officers were still dispatched by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Dispatch and were communicated via in-car mobile phones. The citizens of Chatham dialed a 7 digit number and the officer on duty would typically answer the phone. If they were away from the patrol car, the horn would honk until the officer answered.
Moving forward, the Chatham Police Department expanded and hired a series of Police Chiefs in the 1980’s. As the population increased, the police department expanded. In 1988, Chief Roy Barnett and Sergeant James Dodson implemented the first dispatch center within the Chatham Police Department. Dispatchers communicate via two-way radio communications, answer calls for service, and logged officers’ activity. Approximately 3 years later, Chatham Police Dispatch became manned 24 hours per day. Chief Barnett increased the manpower to fit the needs of the community.
The present Chatham Police Department structure consists of a Chief, Deputy Chief, 4 Sergeants, 9 Patrolmen, 1 Investigator, and 7 Dispatchers. Our dispatch center is online with Sangamon County Dispatch using Computer Aided Dispatching.
The Village of Chatham’s population in 2023 was 14,377. Our police department services 6 square miles of the Village as well as the outlying annexed areas. We provide security at our high school 8 hours a day as well as routine patrols in the additional 5 schools within our patrol area.
The Chatham Police Department is very involved in the community. We facilitate food drives, bicycle rodeos, and blood drives. We assist in government class education, driver’s education, attend child fun fairs, and are involved in Special Olympics activities.
Bill “Tinville” Jordon
Justice of the Peace
Bill Gaule Sr
Village Marshall
Dave Duke
Assistant Chief
Jim Page
Chief
Jim Dodson
Chief
John Applegate
Chief
Mark Gleason
Chief
John McConnell
Chief
Bill Mayberry
Chief
Roy Barnett
Chief
Jim Dodson
Chief
John Holm
Chief
Vernon Foli
Chief (Current)
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EMERGENCY: 9-1-1 117 E. Mulberry St. Chatham, IL 62629 |
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Copyright 2024 | The Village of Chatham | All Rights Reserved |
