Buckle Up and Slow Down: River Forest Police Pledge More Patrols

The River Forest Police Department will step up its holiday traffic patrols, courtesy of a new state grant.

The grant is part of IDOT's Sustained Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) initiative, which provides municipalities with supplemental cash to beef up traffic safety enforcement.

River Forest police were awarded $29,426.24, which department officials said will pay for overtime and fuel for police cruisers for up to eight planned safety special patrols throughout the year.

The "saturation" patrols in River Forest are scheduled around major holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The patrols differ from a fixed safety checkpoint in that police cruisers will be out roaming the streets, looking for signs of impairment and speeding. And once probable cause is established, police said, that's when the stops begin. 

"We'll be all over town," said River Forest Police Sgt. Michael Thornley. "We'll move around."