Citizens Appreciate Public Safety honored 21 Naperville police officers at a ceremony on Thursday night at Méson Sabika.
“We chose a profession that not only takes us away from our families at night, on weekends, and over holidays, but may also take us away permanently… It’s a lot to ask of any human being, but there isn’t one of us in this room that wouldn’t sign up and choose it all again in a heartbeat. Because we love this job, we love what we do, and in Naperville, we know we’re seen, and we know we’re appreciated,” said Chief of Police Jason Arres.
Chief Arres spotlights work of department through innovation
Arres opened the evening by recognizing the work of the department over the last year, emphasizing the theme of innovation.
He referenced tools such as license plate readers and Drones as First Responders, and noted the impact of partnering with neighboring departments.
“There are absolutely suspects we’ve identified, victims we’ve located, and cases we’ve solved that simply would not have happened without these technologies,” Arres said.
Arres reported that roughly 90% of its officers were trained in crisis intervention. He thanked the community and the city council for the department’s addition of six staff members to complete a full team dedicated to crisis intervention.
Awards highlight commitment to protect community
School Resource Officer Niel Desmond, whom Arres called ‘Officer Smiley,’ was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his exceptionalism at Washington and Jefferson junior high schools. In a recent student climate survey, Desmond was identified by a large margin as the most trusted adult in the school.
“These students are in their formative years in developing how they’re going to feel about police for the rest of their lives. They will compare and judge all future experiences with law enforcement by the bar this man has set,” Arres said.
The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners’ Award was given to Detective Paul Elliot, who was praised for his integrity, dedication, and compassion, especially while delivering difficult news.
“This 30-plus-year career could not have been possible with just me alone. It has been our career. We solved the cases, we made the arrests, we helped people in our community, and we supported each other at home,” Elliott said after receiving the award.
Officer Peter Pogwizd was awarded for Courage Under Fire, having rescued an unconscious driver who had veered off the road due to a medical emergency, causing his car to catch fire. Thanks to Pogwizd, who was off duty at the time, Daniel Forrest lived and attended the ceremony for Pogwizd’s recognition.
Most anticipated A. George Pradel Award
Pogwizd also walked away with the prestigious A. George Pradel award, given to the officer who best exemplifies community trust, compassion, and selfless service, surpassing the expectations of an officer.
“There’s a certain expectation that the public expects us as public servants to meet. And I’m just fortunate enough to meet that expectation that our public demands from us. And I’m very fortunate that the community of Naperville takes the time to recognize that,” Pogwizd said.
Photo courtesy: James Hoch Photography
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