In 1997 Sheriff Zaruba started the Office's first Community Resource Unit dedicated to the ideals of community and problem solving policing. CRU deputies work directly with citizens of the county to address existing issues and prevent potential problems.

The unit is made up of Neighborhood Liaison Officers (NLO's), School Liaison Officers (SLO's) and a Drug Education Officer.

Neighborhood Liaison Officers 

The Neighborhood Liaison Program was designed to strengthen the relationship between the Sheriff's Office and the citizens it serves, to provide personalized assistance to residents, and to teach residents how to empower themselves so they are able to tackle their neighborhood's problems.

Neighborhood Liaison Officer's act as the primary liaison between the Sheriff's Office and county residents. They also serve as the primary contact for Homeowners' Associations.

Each NLO is assigned to a specific township in the county. They use local Neighborhood Resource Centers as their home base and spend time meeting residents by walking, driving and using specially equipped bicycles to ride through their neighborhoods.  

Besides being a visible presence in their neighborhoods NLO's also host numerous programs in their communities from local bicycle rodeos to neighborhood watch programs. They also participate in various events such as the DuPage County Fair and Sheriff Zaruba's popular Safety Saturday and present various educational programs for residents and conduct free home security surveys.

They also handle the Office's popular Cell Link Program. and are instrumental in establishing TRIAD/SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) programs to benefit local seniors. 

DuPage County residents who are concerned about a potential, or existing, problem in their community are asked to contact their appropriate NLO via telephone, or clicking the NLO for your specific township.

School Liaison Officers

SLO's spend their entire day at their assigned school. They serve as a liaison between the faculty and the Sheriff's Office, provide basic security to the school and act as a resource for students who need assistance.

The SLO's also attend school functions, including sports activities and meetings at night and on weekends. Other duties include presenting lectures on various law enforcement issues, conducting traffic enforcement on campus and investigating crime on school grounds. 

School's presently served by SLO's are Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn, and Southeast Alternative in Naperville.

Drug Education Officer

One full time deputy teaches the ten week "Too Good For Drugs" program in the twenty six schools located in unincorporated DuPage County. In addition, the deputy also teaches GREAT - a gang resistance education class and gives presentations on Internet Safety, Strange Danger, Bicycle Safety, School Bus Safety and Operation Lifesaver throughout the unincorporated area.

Neighborhood Resource Centers