Fire and Police Protection
Coles
County, Illinois
Feel free to walk the streets of Charleston-Mattoon...
Charleston-Mattoon's total crime rate is lowest
of any Illinois micropolitan
The New Rating Guide to Life in America’s Small Cities (Kevin Heubush,
1997) ranked Charleston-Mattoon 27th in Best Communities to Call Home. Mr.
Heubush rated micropolitan* communities on climate, diversions, economics,
education, environment, health care, housing, public safety, sophistication and
transportation. Coles County’s total crime rate was the lowest of any
Illinois micropolitan, and the county ranked second in quality of education.
* Micropolitan: a city of between 15,000 and 50,000 people in
counties of at least 40,000 population
Annual Report from Illinois State Police Shows Falling
Crime Rate in Coles County
The annual Crime in Illinois report issued by the Illinois State
Police showed that crime in Coles County fell by 15.1 percent in 1997. During
the same period, the statewide crime rate dropped 2.3 percent, the fifth
decrease in the last six years.
Charleston and Mattoon police departments offer a number of programs to the
public and school children. These modern police departments operate with:
 | Video equipped patrol cars
|
| DARE program
|
| Crime scene equipped vehicle
|
| Plain clothes investigators
|
| Fully equipped up-to-date squad cars
|
| K-9 units
|
Officers are specialized in:
| Traffic accident investigation
|
| Involved with East Central Illinois Drug Enforcement Unit
|
FIRE RESPONSE CLASS RATING
Charleston: 5
Mattoon: 5
Oakland: 7
The Charleston and Mattoon Fire Departments pride themselves on working with
the citizens on Fire Prevention. The departments offer the following services:
| National Fire Safety Council programs in schools
|
| Working smoke detector programs
|
| No burning law
|
| Fire extinguisher education to factories, nursing homes & hotels
|
The City of Charleston offers a full service ambulance department and
24-hour paramedic coverage seven days a week. The city owns three fully
equipped ambulances and covers the eastern half of the county. Mattoon
ambulance service is provided by local businesses.
Coles County has a fully operational Enhanced 9-1-1 Center
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