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CITY OF WEST CHICAGO
PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
ITEM TITLE: Resolution 19-R-0030 AGENDA NO. &.D.
Creation of the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and | FILE NO.
Investigation Team (MERIT).
AGENDA DATE: June 24, 2019
COUNCIL AGENDA DATE: July 1, 2019
STAFF REVIEW: Julio Calabrese, Deputy Chief of Police SIGNATURE
APPROVED BY CITY ADMINISTRATOR Michael Guttman SIGNATURE
ITEM SUMMARY:
The West Chicago Police Department is an active member of the DuPage County Chiefs of Police Major Crime
Task Force, or MCTF, and was one of the first Departments involved with the development of the task force
concept. MCTF was first formed in 1998 to promote Countywide public safety and enhance the ability of all law
enforcement agencies in DuPage County to solve major crimes through resource sharing, partnership building and
joint cooperation, consistent training and application of investigative and enforcement methodology. The purpose of
the MCTF is to provide member agencies with highly competent and comprehensive investigative, crime scene,
evidence collection, analysis and technical assistance relative to incidents of major crimes. Today, MCTF consists
of law enforcement agencies from Federal, State and Local Police Agencies, and the DuPage County States
Attorney’s Office.
The Felony Investigative Assistance Team (FIAT), which West Chicago is not a member, is a multi-jurisdictional
police task force comprising of 14 law enforcement agencies in Cook, DuPage and Will Counties. The mission of
the FIAT, SWAT and K-9 Teams is to respond to high risk critical incidents requiring specialized training and
equipment and to resolve those incidents while minimizing the potential for injury or loss of life to civilians,
officers, or suspects. High-Risk situations include, but are not limited to the following: hostage rescue, anti-sniper
activity, and barricaded suspect. FIAT consists of five components, namely, SWAT, K-9, Major Case (ie; forcible
felony), Planned Events and Major Crash (ie: reckless homicide).
In 2018, the leadership of the DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) and the DuPage Felony
Investigative Assistance Team (FIAT), in coordination with the DuPage County Association of Chiefs of Police
recognized the benefit of consolidating both task force entities into a single County-wide task force (MERIT) that
includes the DuPage County Sheriff’s Police. The pooling of resources into a combined County-wide entity
would lead to the expedient solution of serious crimes, critical incidents, and other law enforcement endeavors.
ACTIONS PROPOSED:
Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. 19-R-0030.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
Public Affairs Committee recommends adoption of Resolution No. 19-O-0030.