If you’ve driven through the Chain O'Lakes lately, you’ve probably seen the squad cars. Most people outside of Lake County only know the Fox Lake IL Police Dept because of a headline from 2015 that basically shook the entire country. It was messy. It was confusing. But honestly, if you live here or you're planning to move to the village, that’s not the whole story anymore. Not even close.
The department today is navigating a very different world than it was a decade ago. It's a small-town force with big-city responsibilities, especially when the summer hits and the population triples because of the boaters.
How the Fox Lake IL Police Dept actually operates today
Let’s get the logistics out of the way. The department isn't some massive precinct. It’s located right on Spruce Way. They handle everything from noisy pontoon boats to serious traffic accidents on Route 12.
You've got a Chief of Police who is essentially tasked with balancing "Lake Life" vibes with actual public safety. It’s a tightrope. One minute officers are helping a stranded motorist, and the next they’re dealing with the fallout of the opioid crisis that has hit northern Illinois just as hard as anywhere else.
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The department currently focuses heavily on community policing. You see them at the National Night Out. You see them at school events. They've shifted. There’s a massive emphasis now on transparency—mostly because they had to. After the Joe Gliniewicz scandal, which was a bizarre case of a staged suicide that triggered a massive manhunt, the department had to rebuild its soul. People lost trust. That’s just the truth.
To fix that, they’ve leaned into body-worn cameras. Illinois law (the SAFE-T Act) mandated them, but Fox Lake was already moving in that direction. It’s about accountability. When an officer pulls you over near Pistakee Lake, there’s a digital record. That protects the citizen, sure, but it also protects the officer from false claims.
The reality of patrolling a water town
Patrolling Fox Lake is weird. I mean that in a good way, but it’s definitely unique. Most police departments just worry about roads. The Fox Lake IL Police Dept has to coordinate constantly with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) because the water is a whole different beast.
- Boating Under the Influence (BUI) is a huge focus.
- They deal with noise complaints that carry across the water for miles.
- The winter brings snowmobile accidents on the frozen ice.
It’s a 24/7 job that changes with the thermometer. When the ice thaws, the call volume rockets up.
Addressing the elephant in the room: The Gliniewicz legacy
You can't talk about the Fox Lake IL Police Dept without mentioning 2015. "GI Joe." It was a nightmare for the profession. For those who don't remember, an officer staged a crime scene to look like he was murdered by three suspects. It turned out he was stealing money from the Police Explorer program.
The reason this matters now? It changed how they handle money.
The oversight is intense. Independent audits are the norm. The "good old boy" system that allowed that kind of corruption to fester for years was ripped out by the roots. The leadership that followed had to be boring. They had to be by-the-book. And honestly, boring is exactly what the taxpayers needed.
Technology and the modern squad car
If you look inside a Fox Lake squad car today, it looks like a cockpit. They use Starcom21 for radio communications, which is a sophisticated P25 digital system. It allows them to talk to McHenry County and Lake County units without the static-filled "dead zones" that used to plague the marshy areas of the village.
They also utilize ALPRs—Automated License Plate Readers. Some people hate them. They think it's "Big Brother." But the department argues they are essential for finding stolen vehicles or missing persons (Silver Alerts) coming across the border from Wisconsin. These cameras are often positioned at the main arteries entering the town.
Staying safe and interacting with Fox Lake’s finest
If you live in the village, you should know that the Fox Lake IL Police Dept offers a few services that most people forget about.
- Vacation House Watches: If you're heading to Florida for the winter, you can actually tell them. They’ll put your house on a list for extra patrols.
- Drug Take-Back: Don’t flush your old meds. They have a bin in the lobby.
- Fingerprinting: Often needed for jobs or concealed carry permits, though you usually need an appointment.
Communication is key. The department is active on social media, often posting about road closures or missing pets. It’s a very "neighborly" style of law enforcement compared to what you’d find in Chicago or even nearby Waukegan.
What to do if you need records
Getting a police report in Fox Lake isn't an all-day event. You go through the Records Division. Most things can be handled via a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request if it's a public record. If you got into a fender bender at the intersection of Grand Ave and Rollins Road, you’re going to need that report for your insurance. You can usually pick them up in person during business hours, but call ahead.
Actionable steps for residents and visitors
Safety in Fox Lake is a two-way street. The police can't be everywhere, especially on the back channels of the lake.
- Sign up for Lake County Passage. This gives you real-time traffic alerts that affect Fox Lake specifically.
- Lock your car doors. Almost all "burglaries" in the village are actually just people opening unlocked car doors at night. The police emphasize this every single week.
- Know your location on the water. If you call 911 from a boat, know which bay or lake you are in. "Near the bridge" isn't specific enough when there are multiple bridges.
- Follow the Fox Lake Police Facebook page. It’s the fastest way to know why there are helicopters overhead or why Route 12 is blocked off.
The Fox Lake IL Police Dept has come a long way from its darkest days. It’s a professional, tech-heavy agency that’s trying to keep a vacation town safe. Whether they’re directing traffic at the Venetian Night parade or responding to a residential alarm, the focus is now firmly on moving past the shadows of the past and providing the basic, reliable service the residents pay for.