The Elgin Police Department allows and encourages citizens to ride along with our officers on a shift or part of a shift. In order to be considered, a person must be at least 18 years old with no criminal record. Application for a ride along must be turned in to the department at least 5 days prior to the requested date and time so that the department can adequately plan for the ride along.
The department shifts are 12 hours long so we do not expect that everyone would want to ride out for the entire time. A ride along should be planned for at least 4 hours to give you a good overview of what officer’s experience daily.
During the ride along, every effort will be made to keep you safe and secure - however, please understand that police work is inherently dangerous, and we cannot predict the type of calls that will be received during the time you are riding with one of our officers. If you have a preference for riding with a specific officer, we will attempt to accommodate that request but cannot guarantee your request.