September 5, 2025

Patriot Day Ceremony September 11

On Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 9 a.m., the Palatine Police and Fire Departments will host a memorial ceremony to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

The ceremony will be held at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at the corner of N. Brockway Street and W. Slade Street in downtown Palatine. Please help us remember the lives lost on this tragic day in our country’s history.

School Bus Safety - Stopping for School Buses

When you see a school bus slowing down or stopping do you know what to do?

The Palatine Police Department is proud to partner with Community Consolidated School District 15’s Department of Transportation to focus both on enforcement and education to protect students as they travel to and from school.

Over the next several weeks, Palatine officers will be shadowing bus routes to watch for school bus stop arm violations.

A Reminder to all Drivers:

Stop for flashing red lights — it’s the law.
Never pass a stopped school bus when students are loading or unloading.
Leave extra space around buses — kids may cross the street unexpectedly.
Stay patient during pick-up and drop-off times.

Together, we can help ensure every child gets to school and home safely.

Learn More

Palatine Police Announce Labor Day Campaign Results

Palatine Police successfully conducted an impaired driving enforcement effort over Labor Day weekend. During the period, Palatine Police took the following additional enforcement actions:

• 2 Driving Under the Influence arrests (1 felony)

• 3 Suspended/revoked license arrests

• 3 Other felony/ misdemeanor arrest

• 2 Fugitives apprehended

• 1 Recovered stolen auto

• 1 Drug arrest

• 64 Distracted driving citations

• 29 Seatbelt citations

• 15 Other citations

• 11 Uninsured motorist citations

• 2 Speeding citations

“Through the Labor Day safety campaign, we helped to make our roads safer and spread the word about the risks of impaired driving – ‘It’s Not a Game,’” said Commander Christopher Stearns.

The Palatine Police Department collaborated with other law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across the state for the Illinois Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Drive High Get a DUI” campaign.

This effort was part of the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” “Drive High Get a DUI” and “Click It or Ticket” initiatives, funded by federal highway safety funds through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"Feeding of Wildlife" Friendly Reminder

Many people think they are being kind by feeding wildlife, but it can cause issues in your neighborhood by bringing in unwanted wildlife and stray animals. Please do your part to keep wildlife and rodents away from your home.

Do not feed animals like feral cats, squirrels, deer or birds (unless using an elevated bird feeder). In fact, in Palatine it is illegal to feed wildlife except for the use of

elevated bird feeders. Elevated bird feeders are allowed for use as long as all food, feed or seed is placed in a feeder designed for the specific purpose of feeding birds.

For more information and helpful tips visit the Wildlife Illinois website.