As part of our on-going effort to engage and partner with the community, we are rolling out a new initiative next week. The new initiative will involve a registry for private and commercial surveillance video.  The purpose of the registry is to allow the Darien Police Department to share personal video surveillance that a resident or commercial business may have captured of a crime or other activity requiring police attention. The way the program will work is that once registered, if an incident occurs near the location that has been registered, the Darien Police Department will contact the registered owner and request to view and copy any captured data relative to the incident.  This practice is currently underway in other departments and will enhance our community partnership and also increase our chances to apprehend offenders.  Please contact Stacy Sherman at ssherman@darienil.gov if you are interested in participating.

The table below reflects the crime trends in the most often reported criminal offenses in Darien.  The overall look at the quarter shows a 27.7% reduction in those incidents analyzed. Even with that decline there are some areas of concern.  Of the 14 burglary to motor vehicle incidents occurring in the city of Darien, only two (2) involved locked vehicles. In three of the remaining twelve incidents the vehicle owners were not sure that the vehicle was locked. However in nine (9) of the other incidents the vehicles were unlocked.   

We must be vigilant in order to deny thieves the opportunity to remove our valuables from unlocked vehicles.  If all of the vehicles had been locked, we would likely have only had two incidents and residents would have saved countless dollars. PLEASE, let's help each other keep our valuables safe!

2013-2014 incident occurrence in Darien.

Driveways                     $5.90 per square foot

Sidewalks                     $3.93 per square foot

Apron                           $3.93 per square foot

Apron w/fiber mesh        $4.23 per square foot

Curb & gutter                $12.70 per square foot

Sealer                          $1.00 per square foot

Resident wishing to replace their driveways should call Suburban Concrete directly at 847-837-8805, and inform them you are a Darien resident.  Suburban Concrete will invoice you for the work.

Residents wishing to replace the sidewalk, apron or depress their driveway curb should call City Hall at 630-353-8102.  The City will invoice you for this work.

The deadline to participate in this year's program is July 3.

Spring rain is a part of life in many areas, and there's little you can do to stop it. However, what you can do is protect your home and make sure it doesn't cost you a lot of money in damages. Use these tips to make sure your house is prepared for the downpour that's on its way.

• Check your roof, windows, attic vents, chimneys, windows and doors for any damage. Leaks aren't just going to damage your home through the roof, so take the time to walk around and inspect all possible areas.
• Clean your gutters or have your landscaping or gardening service make sure that they're clear. Gutters that are too full with leaves and debris can damage your roof and create costly repairs for you this spring. Leaves are mostly likely to have gathered during the late fall and winter, too.
• Check the foundation carefully.  Take time to clear away debris.  If necessary, add fill dirt. Note any areas of cracking
• Check appliances to make sure they're properly connected. Think of this as a spring cleaning tip - water damage from those appliances can damage your home worse than the rain.
• Inspect your trees.  The heavy winter snows may have damaged your trees, and any maintenance repairs should be done as quickly as possible before expected spring storms arrive.

 Additionally, there is another scam where the caller claims to be a representative of the Internal Revenue Service. Over 20,000 complaints have been received nationwide in the last few days. A person calls saying they are from the Internal Revenue Service and attempts to gain your personal information or tells you that you owe money to the IRS and to pay immediately. Caller ID on your phone may show the caller is the IRS or another official government agency. These calls are NOT legitimate. The IRS does not contact you by phone to demand payments. If you receive this type of call, please hang up immediately and contact your local police agency immediately to report the incident. 

DuPage County will host a latex paint recycling program from June 9 to July 3 at  Woodridge Greene Valley Wastewater Treatment Facility, 7900 S. Route 53 in Woodridge.

LATEX PAINT RECYCLING: Residents can drop off their usable unwanted latex paint during the designated summer collections listed above free of charge. Usable paint is paint that has not been frozen, is less than 10 years in age and has not been mixed with other products.

FREE RECYCLED LATEX PAINT: (available starting June 16th) The paint will be filtered and re-blended into a variety of colors, types, and finishes. Recycled paint will be distributed to residents for free during same hours at location. Paint is offered free of charge to any resident, business, non-profit etc. in 5-gallon containers.

HOURS:

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Saturday, June 14th & June 28th 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

For more information, contact DuPage County Public Works Dept. at (630) 985-7400  

We often get questions from residents about the total cost of the property tax in the City of Darien.  The DuPage County Treasurer has put out a helpful new tool that demonstrates the different tax requests from different taxing districts such as schools, fire districts, and libraries.  The City of Darien accounts for less than 5% of your property tax bill, with the exact amount varying on the school districts and fire district that serve you.  

Just visit their website and enter your address.