The Park Forest Police Department stepped up patrols during Halloween weekend as part of an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) traffic safety campaign aimed at reducing traffic violations and crashes.
Deputy Police Chief Kristopher Vallow said officers worked 36 hours during the enforcement effort, conducting 60 traffic stops and issuing numerous citations and arrests.
During the campaign, police issued 15 seat belt citations, one child restraint citation, 15 speeding citations, and 13 distracted driving citations for cellphone use. Another 35 citations were issued for offenses including no insurance, disobeying traffic signals, improper lane usage, equipment violations, and unlawful transportation of alcohol or cannabis.
Police made three arrests for driving with a suspended or revoked license. In addition, two other arrests occurred — one on a warrant and one for unlawful possession of more than 40 grams of cannabis.
“We used $29,470 of awarded funds, or 98 percent of what we were granted, resulting in 423 additional officer hours,” Vallow said. “This campaign allowed us to increase our presence on the roads and help maintain traffic safety during a busy holiday weekend.”
Vallow said the department recently received $33,600 in funding from IDOT for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The grant could support approximately 448 additional officer hours for future campaigns focused on occupant protection and safe driving.
“The next campaign will run from Nov. 21 through Dec. 2 and will focus on occupant protection over the Thanksgiving holiday,” Vallow said. “We’ll continue to use these resources to encourage safe driving behaviors and reduce traffic-related incidents in the community.”
The Halloween campaign marked Park Forest Police’s first IDOT-funded enforcement effort of the fiscal year and reflects ongoing efforts to improve roadway safety in the Village.