Elmhurst Police Pursuits Skyrocketing: Mayor

ELMHURST, IL — In the last five years, the number of Elmhurst police pursuits has dramatically increased, the mayor said Monday.

But it is nothing like what you see on TV: Police often end the chases without catching suspects.

So far this year, the police have reported 63 chases, up from 51 for all of 2020, Mayor Scott Levin told the City Council. In the three previous years, the annual number ranged from 10 to 20.

Years ago, the city invested in technology to track stolen cars entering the city.

"That technology allows us not to wait until something happens in the community, but to tell us that a vehicle is coming in that may be here for purposes that are illegal," Levin said. "It's not uncommon for our police officers to locate that car and give chase."

But because of the high risk of injuries and civil liability, police often abandon the pursuits, the mayor said. He said he suspected many criminals may know this

"The data indicates that many of these high-speed chases end in crashes," Levin said.

Patch regularly runs items in its blotter about these pursuits. An officer on patrol typically discovers a car is stolen or that some other violation exists. The officer tries to stop the driver, but the driver speeds away, often going onto an expressway. In most cases, the officer ends the chase.