In 1830, the area currently known as Charleston consisted of a log courthouse located at the town branch were 6th street now intersects. There were a few settlers in the area. The area was named Coles County Courthouse.

April 23, 1831 - lots were surveyed and streets laid out and was named Charleston - supposedly after Charles Morton who was a prominent settler and businessman.

In 1837 - population was around 200.

February 2, 1839 - Charleston becomes a town.

1835 - Charleston organized a village.

February 9, 1865 - Charleston became a city.

On the surface, the Charleston Police Department basically works to enforce the laws of the State of Illinois and the City of Charleston. The Police Department aims to enforce the law in a fair and impartial manner, recognizing both the statutory and judicial limitations of police authority and the constitutional rights of a persons. The primary service the Department ultimately provides to the community can be broken down into two primary stated goals: The maintenance of order and the protection of life and property. Our focus is on preventing crime, arresting and assisting in the prosecution of offenders, recovering stolen or missing property, assisting the sick and injured, enforcement of traffic and criminal laws, the investigation of traffic accidents, and the handling of juvenile matters requiring or a meeting police intervention or assistance. Members of the Charleston Police Department also strives to provide educational information to various groups and schools in an effort to educate the citizenry in regards to traffic and criminal laws and police service.

Today's police officers have to display a multitude of skills and abilities. Officers must be able to communicate effectively with everyone. With todays ability to travel and the fact that we are such a melting pot of various cultures,officers today must realize that there is vast cultural differences and practice sound police practices when dealing with the various groups. It is a good practice to work on being organized. Officers have to be able to communicate the facts of what takes place during testimony when subpoenaed to testify at a deposition and/or in court.

Officers need to be well trained in a wide variety of topics ranging from traffic to elder abuse cases and domestic violence situation. Officers need to have good people skills and be able to communicate specifically when dealing with intense, dangerous situation. The training officers receive never quits. You train to get the job and you can plan on continually training throughout your entire career in order to stay up to date and be the best professional law enforcement officers you can be.

Officers need to be flexible and understanding but decisive and strong.

A list of skills/personal qualities we look for (in no particular order) follows;

-- mature

-- educated with at least a high school degree or equivalent and must be able to learn.

-- good moral character

-- have a background free of felony convictions and crimes of moral turpitude

-- to be able to handle stress and think clearly under stressful conditions

-- be able to follow instruction, but yet be able to think on your own.

At the onset of the hiring process, the perspective police officers will fill out an application. This is mentioned, because it is always a good idea to have a resume and to keep it current. You are your best sales person.

Applicant must be:

a United States citizen

be at least 21 years of age

possess high school degree or G.E.D. certificate

demonstrate physical agility and muscular coordination

be of good moral character

possess a valid Illinois drivers license at time of hire

meet current residency requirements

no felony convictions

Testing:

Written examination

Physical agility testing

Oral interview with the fire and Police Board

Applicants must pass each phase of testing before being allowed to progress on to the next phase. A total score is derived from the successful completion of all three phases at which point the applicant is placed on an eligibility list--ranked based on applicants's score. Once the applicant is chosen as the next for the hire, he must pass a drug screening, psychological and physical exam., and a thorough background investigation.

Technological advancements have provided them with much better radio systems,records mangement-computer systems, and investigative tools which have greatly expanded our communications and investigative capabilities and reliability today. The down side to this is that the constant and continuing improvement require expenditures for new equipment and training in order to keep current. This is a negative impact on budgets and budgetary planning. Entering into the information age has required greater investigation skills using information systems and a multitude of data bases which contain criminal intelligence and other law enforcement related information. Mobil Data Terminals (MDT's) allows officers to communicate with a variety of data bases right from the officers patrol car. Officers can also communicate with one another from car to car via computer. Although Charleston has not yet purchased MDT's, there is a reason to believe that MDTs could soon be in the future of the Charleston Police Department. To simplify a variety of on-line reporting' I will simply report that there are many advancements for reporting police information that will allow immediate, accurate, and precise reporting via on-line communication and computer programs,. Live scan fingerprinting, pin-base reporting, alerts our all advancements that have done nothing but contribute to law enforcement's ability to fight and accurately report crime, protect themselves and communicate with one another. There are so many tech. advancement in law that I decided to attach a few reports that are about advancements in law enforcements instead of trying to explain some or all of them.

Another technical area of advancement have come along in the scientific field in regards of the use of DNA in the process of criminal investigation. Through the years of DNA we can either identify positively the perpetrator of a crime or eliminate the subject as a suspect.

These changes in technology have made us better equipped, expedite records management, increase communication capabilities, and provide law enforcement officers with timely detailed information.

Looking into the future of Law Enforcement, the role the Charleston Police Department will play in the community will remain consistent with several ongoing concepts of present. In addition, change is unavoidable and so will the services of the Police Department.

At present, concepts such as "Community Policing" are being implemented to assist the community in solving problems in building a partnership with a Law Enforcement in the prevention of crime. Part of this concept is based on this flow of information. We are quickly becoming part of the information age. Exchanging information with citizens and other Law Enforcement agencies is becoming a large part of the services provided by Law Enforcement.

Policing is growing as an information resource. Through "Community Policing" the Charleston Police Department is more and more being asked for educational information. It is probable that Law Enforcement will only grow to become a large provider of educational information.

Policing will stay constant as the figures that protect and serve the community and efforts to preserve the value of a free society to have the ideal community being free of crime and disorder. Several trends lead us to believe certain crimes may become a focal point, that Law Enforcement will need to contend with in the near future.

Our society is growing older and once an exception, crimes against the elderly seems to be on the rise.

Educating officers and the public on these crimes will be a growing need of the future. In addition, we have seen technology expand with such speed. Educating Law Enforcement and the public on crimes committed by computer, telephone and other electronic means is also becoming the norm and not the exception.

As long as society continues to embrace peace and order as a value, Law Enforcement will continue to provide the service of fighting crime. as crime change, Law Enforcement will be forced to maintain resources to educate not only themselves but the public in ways to prevent and combat those crimes.