Public safety is a top concern, and the city is home to two fire departments.“Both are very capable and have great response time and facilities. On the police side, we take pride in our great Police Department, all certified officers,” says Mayor Straz. Palos Heights also operates a Community Intervention Unit to support residents in crisis. Straz details. “We have people who have advanced degrees in social work, so they can respond to mental health crises at a house as opposed to having just an armed officer. They work closely with social service agencies in the area to help and monitor the people who find themselves in those situations.” LOOKING AHEAD Moving forward, Mayor Straz says the focus is on the downtown improvements. Attention will also be on the Northwestern Medical Center expansion, which is expected to have a significant economic and community impact. “They’ve got some massive plans, bringing world class activity and healthcare here to the southwest suburbs. That’s going to draw 181 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11 PALOS HEIGHTS, IL
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