Village of Erie Police Department

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Know the Difference: Kids’ Electric Toys vs. Illinois E-BikesWe’ve received questions about children riding small electr...
08/31/2026

Know the Difference: Kids’ Electric Toys vs. Illinois E-Bikes

We’ve received questions about children riding small electric bikes, mini-bikes and scooters and how Illinois’ e-bike laws apply.

There is an important distinction between a children’s novelty/toy electric vehicle and a low-speed electric bicycle regulated under Illinois law.

Under 625 ILCS 5/11-1517, a low-speed electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts that meets one of Illinois’ Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 definitions. Illinois law also requires qualifying e-bikes to meet applicable equipment/manufacturing standards and requires a permanent classification label identifying the class, top assisted speed and motor wattage.

What about children’s electric bikes and scooters?

A small electric ride-on, novelty bike, mini-bike or scooter does not automatically become an Illinois-regulated e-bike simply because it has an electric motor.

The vehicle’s actual design and specifications matter. In particular, look at:

• Does it have fully operable pedals?
• What is the motor wattage?
• What is its maximum assisted speed?
• Does it have the required Illinois e-bike classification label?
• Is it actually designed and manufactured as a bicycle, or is it a toy/other type of motorized device?

If the vehicle does not meet Illinois’ statutory definition of a low-speed electric bicycle, 625 ILCS 5/11-1517 may not be the applicable law governing that vehicle.

Adult E-Bikes

For a qualifying Illinois e-bike:

Class 1: Pedal-assisted, motor assistance stops at 20 mph.

Class 2: Motor may propel the bicycle without pedaling, but assistance stops at 20 mph.

Class 3: Pedal-assisted, motor assistance stops at 28 mph.

Illinois law currently provides that a person must be at least 16 years old to operate a Class 3 e-bike.

Illinois law also prohibits operating a low-speed electric bicycle on a sidewalk.

⚠️ Bottom line

Not every electric bike, mini-bike, scooter or children's ride-on is an Illinois “e-bike.”

Parents should check the manufacturer's specifications and labeling rather than relying solely on the appearance of the vehicle.

When in doubt, know what you’re riding before you ride it on a public roadway, bike path or sidewalk.

This information is provided for education and is not a substitute for reviewing the Illinois Vehicle Code or obtaining legal advice.

Illinois Vehicle Code — 625 ILCS 5/11-1517

Congratulations, Officer Stout!Please join us in congratulating Officer Stout on successfully graduating from the 640-ho...
08/21/2026

Congratulations, Officer Stout!

Please join us in congratulating Officer Stout on successfully graduating from the 640-hour Police Academy at Sauk Valley College!

Completing the academy is a tremendous accomplishment and represents months of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Behind that achievement are countless personal and family sacrifices—long days, demanding training, missed time with family, and the commitment required to meet the high standards of the law enforcement profession.

Officer Stout has demonstrated that he is willing to make those sacrifices in service to others. We are proud of his commitment to honesty, integrity, professionalism, and providing fair and unbiased service to every member of our community.

We are excited to welcome Officer Stout to the team and look forward to the positive impact he will have serving our community.

Congratulations, Officer Stout!

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Erie Police Department, Officer Brady Chavez!Brady is a proud Erie ...
08/12/2026

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Erie Police Department, Officer Brady Chavez!

Brady is a proud Erie High School graduate and recently completed his service with the United States Marine Corps. We are excited to welcome someone with his dedication, discipline, and commitment to the department and community.

The addition of Officer Chavez is also an important step in strengthening our department as we move forward with the policing agreement between the Village of Erie and the Village of Albany. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Erie Village Board, with Albany providing $150,000 in funding to support the additional staffing and services.

This partnership will provide improved police coverage in both Erie and Albany while adding no additional cost to local taxpayers.

We are proud to welcome Brady to the team and look forward to watching him begin this next chapter of his career.

Welcome aboard, Officer Chavez! Semper Fi!

Village of Erie Village of Albany, Illinois

There appears to be some misinformation circulating regarding the proposed police services agreement between the Village...
08/05/2026

There appears to be some misinformation circulating regarding the proposed police services agreement between the Villages of Erie and Albany, and we would like to provide accurate information.

First, this proposal is not new. It has been discussed publicly during open board meetings in both Erie and Albany for several months. Residents have had multiple opportunities to attend meetings, ask questions, and hear the details of the proposal. While a social media post was drafted, Albany just made their official vote on the agreement on Monday evening, and we did not wish to overshadow the National Night Out event yesterday.

Under the proposed Intergovernmental Agreement, the Village of Albany will provide approximately $150,000 annually, along with the use of its existing police equipment, including patrol vehicles, radios, and other essential law enforcement resources. These funds are dedicated to supporting police operations and expanding staffing.

This partnership allows the Erie Police Department to increase staffing—not reduce it. Erie recently hired a new full-time police officer who graduates from the police academy this month and is actively moving forward with hiring an additional full-time officer. These additions, combined with Albany's financial contribution, will allow us to transition from periods where officers have traditionally been on call and responding from home to a goal of providing continuous 24 hours a day, 7 days a week police coverage for both communities.

Contrary to some claims, this agreement does not reduce police presence in the Village of Erie. Erie residents will continue to receive dedicated police services, while the increased staffing provides greater flexibility, improved officer availability, enhanced backup, and more consistent coverage for everyone.

Like many small-town police departments throughout Illinois, both communities face increasing challenges with recruitment, retention, and the rising costs of providing professional law enforcement services. Rather than waiting until those challenges become a crisis, Erie and Albany have chosen to work together to preserve and strengthen local policing.

This cooperative partnership provides benefits for both communities, including:
• Increased police coverage and availability
• Expanded staffing and improved operational stability
• Continued ordinance and code enforcement
• Professional criminal investigations
• Community-oriented policing and proactive problem-solving
• Better utilization of personnel, equipment, and taxpayer resources

This agreement is about strengthening public safety, supporting our neighboring community, and ensuring that local police services remain sustainable well into the future. We encourage anyone with questions to review the public board meeting discussions or attend future meetings to learn more about the agreement and ask questions directly.

From the little cups your ice cream came in, thanks to Rise Up, to the high school kids volunteering, thank you Erie NHS...
08/05/2026

From the little cups your ice cream came in, thanks to Rise Up, to the high school kids volunteering, thank you Erie NHS, National Night Out was not only a Village of Erie Police Department sponsored event, but a community sponsored event as well! To all of our sponsors and all of our volunteers, Thank You! 🍨

We saw lots of familiar faces and lots of new ones too and still strongly believe this gathering is a way to become familiar with, and stay familiar with our police and first responders! 👮‍♂️🚔🚒🧑‍🚒🚁

We’d love to see the photos you took, please feel free to share them here! 📸

We know a lot of littles were waiting to hear who won the raffle prizes so we made sure to get right to it following the...
08/05/2026

We know a lot of littles were waiting to hear who won the raffle prizes so we made sure to get right to it following the event! Posted below are the prizes with the winning ticket number! You can comment below the picture if you’ve won and pick your prize up as early as tomorrow with your matching ticket.

08/04/2026

National Night Out is TONIGHT!!!!!! See you all from 5-7 at the Erie Middle School

Mark your calendar, and come join us for National Night Out on August 4th at the Erie Community Unit School District #1...
07/15/2026

Mark your calendar, and come join us for National Night Out on August 4th at the Erie Community Unit School District #1 Middle School.

The Erie Police Department would like to extend our sincere thanks to our residents and businesses for the tremendous su...
12/30/2025

The Erie Police Department would like to extend our sincere thanks to our residents and businesses for the tremendous support shown throughout the year and the holiday season.

Your kindness, generosity, and continued encouragement mean more to us than we can express, and they truly make our community a special place.

We would also like to recognize and thank our officers and their families. Your dedication, sacrifice, and tireless commitments, working nights, weekends, and holidays doesn't go unnoticed. The support of your families makes this service possible, and we are deeply grateful for everything you do to keep our community safe.

Thank you all for your continued trust, support, and partnership.

We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.

Address

740 Main Street Erie
Erie, IL
61250

Telephone

+13096597792

Website

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