On Friday, March 27, 2020, Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel announced that he has moved some of his officers to an alternative facility to report to work. As a precautionary measure only, the Chief has ordered his Day shift to report to the scout cabin on Fairbank Road. The move will take place this weekend.
This information is being released because residents may see police activity in the scout cabin are and the chief wants them to know that no criminal activity is occurring there. The police department will be parking squad vehicles there so that officers can report directly to that facility.
Chief has ordered that officers report to the scout cabin fully dressed and ready to go on duty. Officers will get in their assigned squads there and then go out on patrol as usual. Roll call will be handled electronically or officers will meet at a public parking area to hold roll call where they can maintain social distancing.
Even though residents may see police activity at the scout cabin and roll call being held in public parking lots, Chief Weitzel wants to ensure residents that this is a temporary measure during the COVID/19 pandemic.
The Chief hopes that separating some of the officers from the Riverside Road facility will assist in preventing, to the extent possible, the officers from contracting Coronavirus. There will be no uniforms, weapons, or equipment kept at the scout cabin. When officers report there, they will have their laptops with them to be able to do reports either from that facility or in their squads remotely. All other physical arrests that must occur will be done at the Village of North Riverside Police Department and WC3 (central dispatch) in the Central Booking area there.
Any resident who has questions/concerns may contact Chief Weitzel at tweitzel@riverside.il.us.
