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In 1965, the Vernon Hills Police Department was a group of village trustees serving as deputies. In 1973, the first police chief was hired. By 1978, the department had grown to become a force of 15 full-time officers. Today, the Police Department consists of 48 sworn officers and 24 civilian employees, all of whom serve the community with pride. This service does not merely consist of officers who write tickets and arrest criminals, but it includes a broad range of services and programs.
 In 1992, the Department moved into its current facility at 754 Lakeview Parkway. This building houses a state-of-the-art telecommunications center which is manned 24 hours a day. Within the center exists a complete array of current technology to answer and respond to all 9-1-1 calls for police, fire, and paramedics, and also non-emergency calls for service. The facility is also equipped with a firearms training range and modern physical fitness equipment. The agency has a comprehensive fleet of approximately two dozen marked, unmarked, and tactical vehicles.
An Accredited Law Enforcement Agency
In November 1995, the Vernon Hills Police Department became the first police department in Lake County to receive law enforcement accreditation. Accreditation is a process that demonstrates the  Department meets an internationally recognized set of professional standards.
The department was reaccredited in 2000, and again in 2003. In November of 2006, the Department re-accredited for the third time at the winter meeting of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).
You can learn more about the accreditation process by visiting the CALEA web site.
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