What Are Deerfield’s Top 10 Crime, Public Safety Stories of 2012?

A lot has happened in Deerfield this year and Patch has been there.

The efforts of the Deerfield Police Department, the Bannockburn Police Department and the Deerfield Bannockburn Fire Protection District to keep the Villages safe were plentiful in 2012.

Get local news in a daily email from Patch. It's like getting a free newspaper. Learn more.

Patch is reviewing the top stories of 2012 by category through end of the year. They are business, crime, government, schools and sports. On Dec. 31, we will reveal the top 10 stories of 2012.

Patch began yesterday with the top 10 business stories of the year. Today we will review the top 10 police and fire articles. Some of the articles are about the same crime because they have a different angle.

                                                       The Police and Fire Top 10

1.         Deerfield Youths Charged in Highland Park Burglary—When two Deerfield High School seniors broke into a Highland Park home, it became the biggest crime story of the year in Deerfield and one of the biggest in Highland Park.

2.         Update: Charges Filed in Fatal Highland Park Crash—When a Highland Park teenager drove into a family there Labor Day killing a five-year-old girl, Deerfield Patch readers wanted to read about it.

3.         Ex Wife Gets Her Revenge and Classmate Crime—What goes on between a husband and wife may be protected by the law, but after the divorce, look out.

4.         Highland Park Teen From Burgled Home Arrested for Dealing Drugs—The home invasion by two Deerfield teenagers got more complex when police discovered a large amount of marijuana in the house.

5.         Judge Warns Deerfield Teens After Not Guilty Plea—When the case of the home invasion by Joseph Mahoney and Josh Norris got to court, the judge minced no words with the defendants.

6.         Woman Stopped Twice by Police in 10 Minutes—What could be worse than being stopped by Deerfield Police? Being stopped by the Deerfield Police 10 minutes after being stopped by the Buffalo Grove Police.

7.         Police: Teens Used Stolen Gun in Highland Park Break In—Before Norris and Mahoney invaded the Highland Park home, they committed a ruse burglary in Deerfield to obtain the gun, according to Deerfield police.

8.         —When a busload of middle school students from Lake Villa collided with two trucks on the Tri-State Tollway in Deerfield, the first on the scene to help were members of the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District.

9.         Police Arrest Mark Ditka Again for DUI—The subject of one of 2011’s most read stories made it in 2012 as well.

10.       Police Arrest Three for Heroin Possession—Alert police work led to the arrest of three men for possession of heroin. One has already pleaded guilty.

On Friday, Patch will list the top 10 stories about government and politics.

For more news and updates, "like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.