Police Dept.

Message from the Chief and Deputy Chief

Welcome to the City of Taylorville Police Department’s website.  Our police department strives to provide excellence in policing services by working collaboratively with the community to address crime, the fear of crime and other public safety concerns.  We work in partnership with residents, schools, local businesses, home owner associations, civic groups, churches and other government agencies to ensure the City of Taylorville is a place where people want to work, live and play.

At the head of police department, I am committed to ensure that Taylorville police employees’ enforcement of the law is ethical, constitutional and fair.  Our department takes advantage of the latest technology, and best practices in the field of law enforcement to ensure our residents, businesses and visitors receive quality service in a timely manner.

It is my pleasure to work for such a supportive community and I welcome your input as to how we may serve you better.

Sincerely,
Chief Dwayne Wheeler
Deputy Chief Vince Childers

Leadership Statement

As the head of the police department, I commit myself and staff to work in cooperation and collaboration with the members of the community to provide a safe, healthy and peaceful environment.  I will ensure that our members keep abreast of the best practices in the field of law enforcement and remain highly trained, competent and effective in addressing crime and the conditions that lead to crime.  We will continue to take pride in service to the community and each other by always remaining cognizant and protective of the constitutional rights and the human dignity of those we serve.  Our ultimate goal is to provide excellence in policing services.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Taylorville Police Department is to protect life and property and enhance the quality of life for all citizens while enforcing the laws of the State of Illinois and ordinances of the City of Taylorville, in accordance with Constitutional rights.  The men and women of the Police Department, working under the motto “Proud to Serve“, take pride in providing professional police service to the community they have sworn to protect.  The Taylorville Police Department is committed to serving all citizens equally, in a manner that is both procedurally just and transparent.

While always striving to improve our performance, we ask for your input to make the police department strive to be the best.  It takes a community to work together to make this great city a better place to live and raise our families.  Our commitment  to community relations remains at the forefront of everything we do.

Emergency Response Team

• ERT Mission Statement
• ERT Photo

Drone Video from the Taylorville Police Department

The following video is to show our citizens a tool that TPD has launched to help our city.  Officer Chase Dickey has been through the necessary training to become a Drone operator.  TPD believes this tool will be an asset to our department and city.  Drones can cover territory much more quickly and efficiently than officers can on foot or even by vehicle.  Moreover, drones can get under tree cover, or between buildings, to access places that helicopters can’t.  Our Drone is equipped with a thermal camera – a drone can easily spot a lost or missing person hidden under rubble, undergrowth or even at night.  This is a great tool to assist in missing children or adults and of course subjects that have fled the police.  The Drone will also be used to video crime scenes, accident and traffic management.  Thank you to Detective Adams for putting this video together.  Thank you to the elected officials that approved this purchase.

Drone Video

• Annual Police Report 2023
• Taylorville Police Dept Compliment form
• Taylorville Police Dept Complaint form
• House Watch form
• Special Needs Assessment form
• Speaker/Presenter Request form
• Taylorville Police On Line Police Report

Employment Information

• Application
• Selection Process

Officer/Employee of the Quarter

• 1st Quarter 2024 – Matt Nichols
• 2023 Officer of the Year – Rachel Priddy
• 4th Quarter 2023 – Rachel Priddy
• 3rd Quarter 2023 – Kayleigh Boston
• 2nd Quarter 2023 – Andrew Borders
• 1st Quarter 2023 – Hannah Coleman
• 2022 Officers of the Year – Sgt Christian Nelson and Sgt Jeremy Alwerdt
• 4th Quarter 2022 – Andrew Borders
• 3rd Quarter 2022 – Officer Grove
• 2nd Quarter 2022 – Nicholas Todd
• 1st Quarter 2022 – Shane Ponzel
• 2021 Officer of the Year – Sgt Alan Mills
• 4th Quarter 2021 – Sgt Wes Withrow
• 3rd Quarter 2021 – Rachel Priddy
• 2nd Quarter 2021 – Hannah Coleman
• 1st Quarter 2021 – Mindy Mills
• 2020 Officer of the Year – Lt. Ben Toberman
• 4th Quarter 2020 – Sergeant Mills
• 3rd Quarter 2020 – Detective Adams
• 2nd Quarter 2020 – Officer Wood
• 1st Quarter 2020 – Officer Bolinger
• 4th Quarter 2019 – K-9 Officer Alwerdt
• 3rd Quarter 2019 – Officer Nelson

Police Chaplain Program

• Police Chaplain

Safe Passage

• Safe Passage Information
• Safe Passage Video
• Safe Passage Contact Information
• Taylorville Safe Passage Program Video with the Coordinator and a Grateful Recovering Addict
• Local Support Groups Meeting Dates
• Safe Passage Expands Across Central Illinois Video
• Safe Passage Gets Massive Grant

Taylorville Police Officers Contact List

Freedom of Information ACT (FOIA)

The City of Taylorville fully supports and complies with the updated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) legislation effective January 1, 2010.

1. Requests for copies or inspection of the City of Taylorville’s records should be directed to the following:

FOIA Officers

2. All requests for records must be in writing. Requests can be submitted to the City of Taylorville by personal delivery, mail, fax, or email. The appropriate form may be obtained either from the City Clerk’s Office or the Taylorville Police Department. The City of Taylorville must comply with or deny a request for records within five (5) business days.

3. The City of Taylorville is not required to allow inspection and copying of any records falling within any of the exemptions noted in Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act.

4. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act allows for the imposing of fees for the copying of requests for public records. The fees are as follows: the first fifty (50) black and white copies are free of charge with each additional copy after fifty (50) pages being $.15 a page. For color copies, abnormally sized copies or copies on other media, the City of Taylorville may charge a fee equal to the actual cost of these copies.

Additional Resources

– Youth Education & Awareness Program Website
– Illinois Sex Offender Registry
– Motor Vehicle Crash Reports