Official Website: http://villageofhazelcrest.org/
Village Hall Phone Number: 708-335-9600
Hazel Crest is a village in Cook County Illinois and a south suburb of Chicago with a population estimated at about 14,100. The village is primarily located in Bremen Township, while the portion of the village south of 183rd Street is located in Rich Township and the portion east of I-80/94 is in Thornton Township. In 1870, Hazel Crest was settled in a farming community known as South Harvey. An enterprising newspaper editor, William McClintock moved to the Village Of Hazel Crest from Ohio in 1890, buying 80 acres of land from farmer Fred Puhrman. In 1900, the name of the village was changed to Hazel Crest to reflect the large numbers of hazelnut bushes that grew on a rise of land just south of town. In 1912, Hazel Crest was incorporated and over the years, significant developments have occurred make Hazel Crest the village it is today because groups of residents joined together for common goals.
Inspection Information:
Code Enforcement Department promotes life, health, fire prevention, building safety and helps maintain property value. This is archived by inspecting existing structures at change of occupancy and patrolling the neighborhoods to identify properties not complying with the property maintenance code. This Department also provides assistance to the Health Department with inspections of food and health establishments, the building and zoning department by identifying work being conducted without permits and inspections on home improvements. It enforces compliance by issuing tickets through administrative court, and contracting work from an outside source.
Other duties in the department are receiving and investigating complaints by the residents, ticketing abandon cars on properties, and follow up investigation on violation of the property maintenance code. They also are liaison for the beautification committee, handle correspondence, awards, and the budget.
To safeguard the values of all properties, the Village requires pre-closing inspections on the sale of all residential and commercial properties. The inspection will be conducted by the Department of Fire Rescue & Inspectional Services.
The Village of Hazel Crest requires that an occupancy inspection be performed prior to the change in ownership or tenancy of any property. This ordinance applies to all residential and commercial properties.
This information is provided to help you understand what steps the village takes before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy:
1. You need to complete the Application for Occupancy Inspection form completely.
2. Any monies owed to the Village ofHazel Crest must be paid, prior to the scheduling of the inspection, i.e. delinquent water bill, property maintenance violations, and liens.
3. You can then schedule an appointment for the inspection to be done.
4. If there are no violations found by the inspector, and you provide the inspector with your heating certificate during or prior to the inspection, you will receive your Certificate of Occupancy at the completion of the inspection. (A copy of the exact inspection form used during the inspection is attached, to allow you to have your property compliant ready by the time of the inspection.)
5. If there are violations that need to be corrected, you will have to make those corrections within 30 days, and then call back and schedule a return visit by the inspector to verify that all the repairs have been made. You will be allowed one return visit for completion, if the inspector has to come back a third time or more you will have to pay the complete fee again each additional time.
6. Workmanship, repairs, maintenance work, alterations, or installations which are caused directly or indirectly by the enforcement of this code shall be executed and installed in a workmanlike manner and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Crime Free Information:
Under the Village’s Crime-free Housing Ordinance, a landlord is required to remove a tenant if that tenant—or any member of the household—is engaged in criminal activity or is causing an unreasonably high number of calls for police service.
If the landlord does not remove criminal or nuisance tenants, the Village has the authority to revoke the landlord’s license to operate rental property within the Village. A landlord will be required to terminate a lease if a person engages in certain criminal activity. A conviction is not required to justify the termination of a lease.
Hazel Crest police officers have been trained to effectively enforce the Village’s Crime-free Housing Ordinance.
The Police Department recently completed Crime-free Housing classes for all landlords of rental property in Hazel Crest. Landlords were required to attend a four-hour informational training session in order to be issued an operating license in the Village. Failure to complete the class will result in the landlord’s license being null and void. Certified instructors conducted the training sessions, and all landlord information was entered into the Police Department’s computer files.
Hazel Crest Police Department
Village Police Chief
Chief Mitchell R. Davis III
708-335-9640
Mission Statement
The mission of the Hazel Crest Police Department is to ensure that all persons who come within the limits of Hazel Crest feel safe and secure in their persons and property. This mission is to be accomplished through the well-regulated efforts of a highly trained, dedicated, and conscientious group of individuals employed for this purpose. Police services will be provided to all without regard to race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or political preference.
Message From The Chief
It is my goal for the Hazel Crest Police Department to provide the best service to our community as possible. The foundation of achieving this goal has to be through relationships. We will constantly seek to develop the best relationship that we possibly can with all citizens. Inclusion of the community is essential to a healthy working relationship that will allow us all to keep the community of Hazel Crest safe and functioning at its highest capacity. That cohesive relationship is going to best allow us as a police department to meet the needs of the citizens that we serve, and it will also allow for a true partnership with all members of the Hazel Crest community to flourish. It is truly a blessing, and my honor, to serve the officers of the Hazel Crest Police Department and especially the citizens of the Village of Hazel Crest.