Police

Welcome to the Village of Willowbrook Police Department webpage.  My name is Lauren Kaspar and in May of 2023, I had the honor of being appointed as the 1st female Chief of Police in the Village’s history.  I have been with the Willowbrook Police Department for over 16 years and have served in many roles throughout my career including patrol officer, detective, task force officer, sergeant, deputy chief, and now chief.  Prior to being hired as a patrol officer, I served as a 911 Telecommunicator at Southwest Central Dispatch for several years, also serving the Village of Willowbrook during that time.  

The Village of Willowbrook Police Department was the 201st police agency to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. and is considered an excellent, high service, community-oriented law enforcement agency.  The Willowbrook Police Department was originally awarded accredited status in 1991. The Department was awarded re-accredited status for the tenth time in November 2021.  

The Willowbrook Police Department is currently comprised of 27 full-time sworn officers and three full-time non-sworn civilian employees.  As a smaller agency we deploy our staff and resources in the best way possible to provide professional law enforcement services to our community.  We take pride in our partnerships with other law enforcement agencies such as Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team (MERIT), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Illinois Police Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS), and DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group (DuMEG).  These partnerships allow us to give the larger agency feel to our smaller department.

The department currently has several new crime prevention programs that we have been working on and growing over the last few years.    One example is a vast footprint of Flock License Plate Recognition cameras throughout town.  These cameras have proven to be a vital tool in investigating and solving crimes across multiple police jurisdictions.  In addition, the department has implemented a Community Oriented Policing unit (COPs).  The purpose of the COPs unit is to decrease crime by increasing awareness in our communities. The COPs unit attended various neighborhood functions including homeowner’s association meetings to conduct presentations on crime trends and any other topics related to law enforcement. The goal of the unit is to foster positive interactions, work through problem solving, and establish partnerships within the Village of Willowbrook.

Moving forward, the Willowbrook Police Department will work towards stability through hiring, recruitment, retention, training, and succession planning to best prepare our employees with the skills to succeed in law enforcement.  The department will also continue to grow its partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, other departments within the Village, and the community to provide the best services possible.  Please take a moment to explore our webpage and see what the department has to offer!

Sincerely,

Lauren Kaspar, Chief of Police