Channahon Ranked 10th Safest Illinois Community By SafeWise

CHANNAHON, IL - The village of Channahon recently ranked as the 10th safest community in Illinois based on a comprehensive statewide survey compiled by SafeWise. The village is proud of the award because Channahon prides itself on being a great place to live and raise a family. According to Safewise, a home security and safety advice website, highly populated towns like Wheaton and Hoffman Estates are among the state's safest.

And, based on the FBI's 2015 uniform crime report, more than a dozen cities in Cook County — the second most-populated county in the nation — are among the 50 safest in Illinois. Among the other Will County communities on the list, in addition to Channahon, were Manhattan at No. 8, Homer Glen at No. 24 and Frankfort at No. 43. The full list of Illinois communities making the SafeWise list is here. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories near Channahon and Minooka, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Meanwhile, Channahon's Police Department, which is authorized for 23-sworn personnel, finds itself at a crossroads as it faces a change in leadership. Jeff Wold, the police chief of the past six years, and a veteran presence within the department for more than 20 years, announced plans to retire effective December 1 a number of weeks back. This past Friday, Channahon closed off the application process for the police chief's position. The village received a total of 38 applications, according to village administrator Tom Durkin, who added there are some internal candidates vying for the post.

Durkin said that Channahon wants to have the new chief on board before the year's end. Village leaders have praised Wold's leadership and performance as chief, adding that the chief's last official day on the job "is a little flexible." The village is also in the process of filling two officer vacancies in the Channahon Police Department, spots in the patrol division that have been open since at least summer.

Main image via Patch Editor John Ferak, image of Chief Jeff Wold via village of Channahon