There has been a great public showing of respect in the Fox Valley for police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, who died Sept. 1 in the line of duty in Fox Lake.
The Talamore subdivision in Huntley formed a grass-roots organization that truly has gone above and beyond.
Group member Laura Bloom says their neighborhood placed blue ribbons on Reed and Ackmann roads in Huntley. “Individual home owners have displayed blue lights as well as hung blue ribbons on their front trees,” she said.
“One young mother in the neighborhood had her children sell lemonade and cookies to donate the proceeds to local police departments,” Bloom said. “Baskets were assembled to pass out to their local police forces.”
Sleepy Hollow police Chief Jim Linane says his department enjoys “baked goods like cookies and cake when it can be shared with the entire department.”
Linane’s respect for his department can be felt when he talks about his force.
“In Sleepy Hollow, the service club works with the department to purchase equipment that is needed, but it must be planned out,” he said.
“Police are working for the good for all people,” he added. “Officers are good people that serve to protect the public. Even though you might not like when you get a traffic ticket, officers need the citizens to honor the profession.”
Elgin police Chief Jeffrey Swoboda wants everyone to know that his department always appreciates gift baskets and foods given, but they are not necessary for officers to do their jobs well.
“There are two ways to thank police officers for their service,” he said. “The first thing is that positive stories about police interactions need to be out there.” Social Media so often is used to sound off about the bad things that happen with police, he said. People need to convey their experiences with police both positively and negatively. There needs to be a balance.
“The second way to help out your local police is to get more involved in your community by forming groups that work as allies to the work that we do,” Swoboda said. “Neighborhood watch groups are certainly one way neighborhoods can assist the police and keep their communities crime free. Citizens should not be afraid to help police with the work they are doing. Police can’t be everywhere.”
Police should not be looked at as the enemy. They put themselves in harm’s way to keep the local citizens safe. Unfortunately, when a negative situation occurs, that is the only thing the public seems to remember.
As local citizens react to the tragic death of Gliniewicz, it is nice to see so many people coming together not only to show respect to his memory, but to say thank you to all the work that local police officers do.
“A kind word goes a long way,” Swoboda said.
Especially when it comes to the police.
Linda McDaniel-Hale is a Fox Valley resident who offers opinion on local topics.
