The improved quality of life generated by an effective public safety presence is what every official wants and every taxpayer demands. Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor knows that quality public safety services come at a price ­ so we use every legal tool available to help police and fire departments maximize their effectiveness and minimize the cost of doing business.

Street smarts. Police officers and firefighters dedicate themselves to improving quality of life for all. It's a discouraging scenario when minor mishaps and misunderstandings are blown out of proportion by plaintiffs willing to wreck careers in order to access local governments' "deep pockets." We understand how police and fire departments operate. We know the difference between a sergeant and a lieutenant, and we're prepared to use every available strategy to help police and fire departments maintain a meaningful public safety presence, while minimizing the cost of doing business.

Racial profiling. With the news media spotlighting law enforcement's alleged racial profiling, traffic stops, searches, or other law enforcement activities can attract unwanted attention. Robbins, Schwartz is deeply involved in this rapidly developing area of the law. Through preventive training, we ensure that every police officer understands not only what is and is not permissible, but also how to document their actions thoroughly so profiling litigation can be avoided.

Misconduct defense. Law enforcement involves risk. Suspects can be injured. Prisoners can become disgruntled. Even the most innocent traffic stop can turn into a nightmare of lawsuits and litigation. With a roster of professionals that includes former police officers, Robbins, Schwartz stands ready to provide thorough and expert situation review, effective defense of officers, and counsel that may prevent similar incidents in the future.

Following the rules. From chase protocols to equipment guidelines, we can provide concise and comprehensible rules and policies to help departments operate smoothly and professionally. These model policies also help guard against challenges regarding failure to train properly.

Dealing with the tickets. Whether offenses range from barking dogs and speeding to misdemeanors and felonies, Robbins, Schwartz professionals, including former assistant state's attorneys, have decades of experience prosecuting local lawbreakers. We keep prosecution calls running fairly and efficiently, while generating maximum fine income. Our expertise also includes prosecuting all manner of building, housing, and zoning violations, from simple permit issues to demolition of entire slum neighborhoods. We also can serve as administrative hearing officers, judging cases independently and professionally and creating a judicial process that encourages compliance and discourages appeals.

Pension issues. Robbins, Schwartz helps Illinois' growing number of communities with police and fire pension boards navigate the sea of fine print in financial contracts, follow state investment rules to the letter, and establish effective and informative meeting procedures. With experience handling dozens of disability hearings, we can identify employees who truly qualify for pensions, and we know how pension boards can create "clean" records that justify denying pensions, when appropriate. We also can ensure that pension boards receive their fair share of funds from parent municipalities ­ even when that means insisting on interest payments when property taxes are transmitted late.