The boy was a victim of violent crime.
He had been involved in an altercation with a mentally unbalanced adult and was afraid to be alone in his home until Algonquin Police Officer Kim Frasier came calling.
“Kim went over and spent so much time with the little guy. The way she got him through that was absolutely unbelievable,” said Tamara Thorsen, a friend and the vice president of the Algonquin Women’s Club.
This week, Frasier, 36, was named Algonquin Woman of the Year by the women’s club. Frasier’s dedication to her job as the police department’s primary Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer, combined with a commitment that stretches long past her shift, made her the top pick for the award, according to Thorsen.
Last Sunday, a young boy rode his bike over to Frasier’s home because he thought someone might have broken into a neighbor’s house. She spent part of her day off investigating his report.
“I want the kids to feel that I’m interested and that what they have to say is important,” Frasier said. “Plus, the kids need to know that I’m a real cop, not just a school cop.”
“What stood out for us was Kim’s work in the community. She’s making the future brighter for our kids,” said Thorsen, who abstained from voting on the award because of her fondness for Frasier.
“People don’t know about all that she does,” Thorsen added.
When Frasier joined the Algonquin Police Department five years ago, she wanted to have a positive influence on the town where she was raised. Awards never factored into her efforts, Frasier said.
“I just want to leave behind a peaceful community where people don’t have to worry about substance abuse,” she explained. “I don’t know if all this has really sunk in yet.”
The cop who local kids call “Officer Kim” is also a finalist for the Kane County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, to be announced May 5.
“It’s hard to believe there is recognition for this. When I go to work I have fun. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Frasier said.
She came to police work after more than a decade working as a radio dispatcher for three McHenry County departments. It was time for a change, Frasier recalled, and when the opportunity to earn her badge arose, she took it.
Frasier worked patrol for two years before Algonquin Police Chief Russ Laine promoted her to D.A.R.E. officer.
Her popularity is to the point where kids come up for hugs in the grocery store, she said with a touch of amazement. Congratulations have been pouring in since she was named “Algonquin Woman of the Year,” with some accolades shouted out of car windows by passing strangers, Frasier noted, laughing.
With a life spent as a hometown public servant, perhaps the recognition was inevitable.
But Frasier doesn’t advertise her extracurricular activities, which include serving as police liaison to the local chapter of Communities Against Gangs, working with Neighborhood Watch and other crime-prevention efforts and running in the annual Torch Run for Special Olympics.
Frasier is also a 12-year veteran volunteer firefighter with the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.
She logs about 30 hours per week at the fire station, according to Lt. Rick Kempe, who nominated Frasier for “Algonquin Woman of the Year.”
“Kim is fantastic,” Kempe said. “When it comes to sending a message, you couldn’t find a better person to get it out.”
