East Chicago Police Department

06/07/2026

06/06/2026

06/01/2026

Join us for our first Northwest Regional SWAT team waterpark buyout on July 10th from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Come join us at Deep River Water Park in Merrillville, as we trade breaching tools for water slides and spend quality time with the people who support us every day.
Spend a few hours to make memories, have some laughs and enjoy family time.
This is an all ages event. Click on the link below to purchase your tickets.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/make-a-splash-for-swat

05/30/2026

🚨 SAFE PLACE FOR ONLINE TRANSACTIONS 🚨

The East Chicago Police Department is proud to provide a designated Safe Place for residents to complete online transactions with confidence.

📍 Location:
2301 E Columbus Drive
East Chicago, IN 46312
Whether you're buying, selling, or meeting someone from an online marketplace, you can use:

✔️ Our police department lobby
✔️ Our parking lot

🎥 Both areas are monitored by cameras inside and outside the building to help ensure your safety.

This is a safe, secure, and well-lit location for:
• Online purchases & sales
• Marketplace exchanges
• Meeting buyers/sellers
• And more

💙 Your safety is our priority.
We encourage everyone to take advantage of this resource and help keep our community safe.

05/27/2026

FEC is a proud sponsor of the East Chicago Police Department!

Make sure to register your middle schooler for the Junior Citizens Police Academy. Deadline is June 19th.

05/12/2026

On Sunday May 10, 2026 at approximately 2:53 am, officers were patrolling in the area of Ralo's Cocktail Lounge when they observed a large crowd gathering in and around the intersection of 140th / Alder Street.

As officers approached the area they observed a vehicle traveling west bound on 140th Street at a high rate of speed toward Alder Street. The vehicle disregarded the stop sign at the intersection of 140th Street and Alder and struck another vehicle that was lawfully crossing the intersection. The offending vehicle then struck a pedestrian who was standing in the street.

Following the crash, the driver of the offending vehicle fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.

The pedestrian, whose identity is being withheld was transported to St Catherine Hospital and later transported to a Chicago area hospital in critical condition.

Our Traffic Division and Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case.

In response to the ongoing issues associated with Ralo's Cocktail Lounge, the owner of the property and manager of the establishment have been directed by the East Chicago Code Enforcement Department to attend a meeting at the East Chicago Police Department on Monday May 18th. The purpose of the meeting is to address the repeated calls for service, disturbances, and nuisance activity occurring at and around the establishment while its open.

So far in 2026, officers have responded to 23 calls for service at this location. In 2025 we responded to 65 calls for service associated with this establishment. Residents in the area have expressed ongoing concerns regarding safety issues due to the establishment.

We will be increasing patrol presence in the area and taking proactive enforcement measures to address the ongoing nuisance activities and reckless behavior associated with the bar.

05/12/2026

The East Chicago Police Department would like to issue a correction regarding the pedestrian struck by a vehicle near Ralo's Cocktail Lounge on Sunday May 10, 2026..

Earlier information provided to our investigator indicated that the pedestrian had succumbed to his injuries. We have since confirmed that this information was incorrect. The individual is currently hospitalized and remains in critical condition.

We sincerely apologize for the dissemination of inaccurate information and any confusion or concern it may have caused. We are committed to providing accurate and timely updates as they become available. We're still withholding the victims name for privacy.

Further details will be released at a later date and time.

05/08/2026

Today we proudly congratulate our 9 officers on their graduation from the Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy at Valparaiso University.

This achievement represents months of hard work, discipline, and dedication to the profession. Each of these officers has demonstrated the commitment it takes to serve and protect with integrity.

We are proud to welcome them as they begin their careers in law enforcement and look forward to the positive impact they will make in our community.

Help us congratulate all are new officers and welcome them to East Chicago!

05/04/2026

Arrest for Firearm on School Property

An 18-year-old student was taken into custody this morning after a firearm was discovered on school property at East Chicago Central High School.

At approximately 9:00 am officers were dispatched to the school after receiving reports of a student possibly in possession of a weapon.

School officials advised officers that a student attempted to enter the building with a backpack. The backpack triggered the metal detector screening machine.

The student was asked to pass through the metal detector a second time, which again activated. When questioned further, the student allegedly made a concerning statement and became disorderly before grabbing his backpack and fleeing the building.

The Dean of Students pursued the student outside, where he was detained. During the incident, the backpack was discarded in nearby bushes.

A subsequent search of the bag led to the discovery of a loaded .40 caliber G***k handgun.

The student was held by school staff and security until officers arrived. He was then taken into custody by East Chicago Police on a preliminary charge of felony possession of a firearm on school property.

He was transported to the East Chicago Police Department Jail and is being held pending formal charges.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the student’s identity is being withheld at this time.

We'd like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Dean of students and the entire staff at EC Central High School for their swift and decisive actions. Their attentiveness and commitment to student safety led to the identification of a student attempting to enter the school under concerning circumstances.

Because of their vigilance a potentially dangerous situation was safely resolved. Thank you for your professionalism, courage and dedication to protecting our students.