UPDATE AS OF 3:45PM - Phelan Acre residents are now allowed to go back to their homes. Emergency personnel has just decided that the area roadways are clear of water. If Nicor utilities are turned off in your home a professional HVAC serviceman will have to check your service for safety before the utility can be restored to your home.
All roadways in the Wilmington area are currently safe and open. -end-
Will County Emergency Management, ESDA, Will County Sheriff's Office, and several emergency area agencies are now on hand in the evacuation of Phelan Acres in Wilmington. Area residents are being advised to leave their homes until the rising water and ice move through. Utilities in the area are being monitored closely. Residents should plan to be out of their homes for at least a few days. Once water receeds utilities will have to be restored and checked.
The following roads, west of the City of Wilmington are closed around these intersections: Cottage and Lorenzo, Will and Willow, Blodgett and Kelly, Will and Lorenzo and Will and Cottage. Roads are closed along the river in the Phelan Acres subdivision. Houses on Cottage have been evacuated.
The City of Wilmington is currently not being effected by the water.
Director of Will County Emergency Management, Harold Damron, will be speaking at a press conference at 11:30am at the Wilmington City Hall, to give an update on the situation.
A hotline for the public is being set up for residents who are looking for updated information: 815-724-1617.
Updates will be made available as new information is received.
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association announces that it will be awarding over $50,000 in college scholarships throughout the State of Illinois to students wishing to pursue higher education during the 2019-2020 academic year. The scholarships are to be applied to tuition, books and fees only. The student must be enrolled full-time at a certified institution of higher learning within the State of Illinois.
A scholarship for $1,000.00 will be awarded by the Will County Sheriff.
There will be no restriction on any applicant because of race, age, creed, color, sex or national origin. The only limitations are as follows:
Applications are now available on-line at www.willcosheriff.org
Students must complete the application; answer the essay question and return all documentation to the Sheriff’s office by March 15, 2019 (must be postmarked by this date).
Return completed application to:
Will County Sheriff
Attn: Carol Stein
16911 W. Laraway Road, Suite 101
Joliet, IL 60433
To help address the negative impacts of the opioid crisis, drug-related crime, and rising rates of overdose deaths, Sheriff Mike Kelley has begun implementing a new ‘out-of-the-box’ approach to address the opioid epidemic. Sheriff Kelley has partnered up with Family Guidance Centers to help with the implementation of this program. Family Guidance Centers, Inc. is a not-for-profit behavioral health care organization based in Illinois that has a mission to treat and prevent substance use disorders as well as an array of other related problems including mental health.
Many proactive police departments in Illinois, including the Will County Sheriff’s Office are implementing an arrest-diversion program. These programs are sometimes referred to as “Safe Passage” programs. This program is the final piece, in a three part approach, of combating the heroin epidemic through drug enforcement, prevention thru education, and now treatment.
To help jumpstart this program, the Will County Sheriff’s Office was awarded the Community Law Enforcement Partnership (CLEP) Grant for deflection for substance use disorder treatment through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). This grant will provide the Will County Sheriff’s Office critical funding to facilitate referrals for substance use treatment.
Under the leadership of Sheriff Mike Kelley, the Will County Sheriff’s Office has done a great job addressing the opioid epidemic by targeting the drug dealers and getting drugs off the streets thru various enforcement means. The Sheriff’s Office has educated the public with the “Hidden In Plain Sight” trailer and by establishing the Will County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Sheriff Kelley’s next step is to help those in need to obtain the treatment they most desperately need to rid themselves of addiction by partnering up with Family Guidance Centers in the Will County Sheriff’s Office Safe Passage Program.
If you, or anyone you know, are in need of drug use addiction treatment, the Will County Sheriff’s Office is here to assist you in getting the treatment that is needed. The Safe Passage Program is a citizen self-referral system. Drug-involved individuals are encouraged to initiate contact and engage with members of the Will County Sheriff’s Office without fear of prosecution, and an immediate treatment referral is made with the assistance of behavioral health experts, trained officers and volunteers. Individuals who are indigent and have no health insurance may be provided financial assistance for treatment or other services when available.
Any resident of Will County who enters the Will County Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex and requests help with their addiction to opioids, alcohol, or other substances, will be screened for eligibility and, if eligible, registered for participation in the Safe Passage Program. If the individual requesting help with addiction is in possession of drugs or drug equipment (e.g., needles), the individual will turn these items over to the Sheriff’s Office and not be criminally charged.
The partnership that the Will County Sheriff’s Office and Family Guidance Centers will be providing to the citizens of Will County is just another example of how proactive and serious the Sheriff’s Office is in helping to combat this opioid epidemic.
The Will County Sheriff's Office and law enforcement throughout Illinois will be working around the clock for the remainder of the year to make certain that travelers are buckled up and driving sober.
The Sheriff's Office is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police, and nearly 200 other police and Sheriff's departments to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Drivers can expect a ticket if they are spotted without a seat belt or with an unbuckled child. Motorists are also being warned that driving impaired will not be tolerated. Patrols will be stepped-up through Will County and the state, including seat belt enforcement zones and roadside safety checks.
"Wearing your seat belt is second nature for most, but we are looking for the few motorists who skip this lifesaving step," said Traffic Sergeant Kyle Lakomiak. "During Thanksgiving weekend, and throughout the remainder of the year, motorists can expect to be ticketed if they are unbuckled. Likewise, we need our community to understand: It is up to them to make the smart choice to drive sober. Impaired driving remains a huge problem and if arresting someone is what it takes to stop this deadly crime, so be it. Be smart, drive sober!"
The Click It or Ticket/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort is funded with federal highway safety funds administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. -end-
The Will County Sheriff’s Office is advising licensed physicians, that several doctors within the Will County area have received phone calls from an unknown individual who claims to be a ranking Sergeant or Lieutenant with our department. These individuals state that because the doctor (or his wife) did not show up for jury duty they will need to pay a fine or will be arrested. Some of the doctors who have made reports with us have stated that they were told that a Failure To Appear (FTA) warrant had already been filed for their arrest. This is a SCAM! These scammers are aggressive and appear legitimate by using Docket numbers and other legal terms in order to scare the person into believing them. In some cases, the individuals threaten the doctor with having their doctor’s licenses pulled if they do not pay the fine.
The phone numbers being used in the calls appear to be local callers, however, these phone numbers are fraudulent and untraceable.
Please Be Aware! The Will County Sheriff's Office, nor the Will County Jury Commission, DO NOT call citizens regarding jury duty no-shows or to threaten an arrest warrant for you. Please, do not fall victim to these individuals and their threats! Do not give out any personal information or agree to purchase gift cards or send money! Just hang up the phone!
If you want to check to see if you have a warrant for your arrest, we invite you to visit the Will County Sheriff’s Office Warrant website at: www.willcountywarrants.com -end-