On Thursday, September 26, DuPage County Board Member Patty Gustin presented the third DuPage County Educational presentation with a special guest: State’s Attorney Bob Berlin. Berlin presented on the State’s Attorney’s Office and shared the county’s crime statistics compared to past years.
What is the State’s Attorney’s Office?
Bob Berlin’s mission as DuPage County’s State’s Attorney is to seek justice for all county citizens. This mission is driven by the need to protect the county’s people and defend the rights of victims. Within the State’s Attorney’s Office, there are 94 Assistant State’s Attorneys; 3 Chiefs, 6 Deputy Chiefs, 7 Supervising ASAs, 7 Felony First Chairs, 2 Juvenile First Chairs, 56 support staff, and 19 investigators.
DuPage County’s Initiatives to positively impact crime statistics
State’s Attorney Berlin touched on the many ways the county is stepping in to support victims. He discussed how police personnel are equipped with body cameras, which act as crucial evidence in many cases. Also discussed was the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit, which allows police officers to address domestic violence by providing victims with life-saving resources.
In addition to support for victims, Berlin also talked about how the county is rehabilitating those charged in drug-related cases. The County’s Drug Court aims to provide substance abuse treatment which positively impacts drug-related crime statistics. The Drug Court has been proven extremely cost-effective and as of September 2023, had 71 active cases.
DuPage County’s Mental Illness Court Alternative Program (MICAP) provides support for offenders who have a mental health diagnosis that was a contributing factor to the commission of the crime. MICAP provides mental health treatment services which acts as an alternative to traditional prosecution.
Lastly, Berlin discussed DuPage County’s Veteran court, which offers a second chance to offenders who suffer from mental health consequences related to their military service such as PTSD and substance abuse.
The next County Educational Series’ presentation focused on the Coroner’s System will be held in Naperville City Hall on October 10 at 6:00 PM.
Check out more community events in Naperville.
