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 46 sworn officers and 26 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 the facility at 754 Lakeview Parkway. This building is equipped with a firearms training range and the booking facility, as well as the administrative offices and detective bureau.   

In 2007, the 740 Lakeview building was purchased and remodeled, to create a 2-building "campus."  The "new"  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 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 highly professional standards.

The department was reaccredited in 2000, 2003 and 2006. The Department was re-accredited for the fourth time in November, 2009, 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.