How Suburban Facilities Are Working to Reduce Calls to Police

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Byline: Lenore T. Adkins ladkins@dailyherald.com By Lenore T. Adkins ladkins@dailyherald.com

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By Lenore T. Adkins

ladkins@dailyherald.com

While most group homes operate quietly, their presence sometimes unknown even to their immediate neighbors, others create a surprisingly high volume of calls to emergency services.

A single 13-year-old client at an Elgin group home who was a chronic runaway generated 130 police contacts in 2010 and 2011. And a Naperville group home for troubled teen girls generated 723 calls to emergency services between January 2010 and May 2012.

On the other hand, a group home in Palatine run by [URL]Shelter Inc.;http://www.facebook.com/TakeAStandIL2012[/URL] posted only 20 calls for emergency services during that time, even though the agency serves a similar clientele -- abused and neglected children and adolescents. And five group homes run by the Little City Foundation in Palatine posted a combined 23 calls for emergency services. The foundation works with children who have developmental and intellectual disabilities.

The Daily Herald obtained the data by filing Freedom of Information requests with emergency …