A Lincolnwood police detective led a crackdown on vehicle burglaries last summer when he contributed to the arrest of five offenders who police connected to 23 vehicle burglaries that were reported in July and August.
The detective, Eric Gronlund, was honored as Police Officer of the Year during the July 19 Village Board meeting, where his family and colleagues gathered at Village Hall to celebrate the young officer’s achievement.
Every year, an awards committee comprised of police department employees selects a police officer for the honor, which is earned by scoring high on officer evaluations and demonstrating characteristics like teamwork, perseverance and initiative, according to Officer Randy Rathmell, chair of the awards committee.
“We look at the quality and the quantity of those skills,” Rathmell said. “Gronlund was selected because he sets himself apart in teamwork, communication and his willingness to do the job.”
Last year, Gronlund led the police department in arrests with 21, and made 90 traffic stops that resulted in 127 citations, according to Lincolnwood Police Chief Bob LaMantia.
One of those arrests happened the night of July 10, when a juvenile-aged offender was caught in the 6600 block of Trumbull Avenue as he tried to enter a home. A neighbor who saw him trying to get in called police and the boy was found hiding in nearby bushes. He allegedly admitted to stealing personal belongings from eight unlocked vehicles that night before he approached the house, police said.
A few weeks later on Aug. 5, four individuals dressed in black were arrested at Kevdale and Jarvis avenues. They later told police they drove to the area in a stolen vehicle to burglarize cars. The police investigation, led by Gronlund, cleared 15 vehicle burglaries in Lincolnwood, according to LaMantia.
Gronlund started last year as a patrol officer – a position he had worked in since he joined the police department in 2013. He was promoted to the criminal investigations unit in June, a new role that allowed him to get more involved in interviewing suspects and calling in suggested charges to the state’s attorney’s office.
After Cary Kalant from the Lincolnwood American Legion Post 1226 presented Gronlund with the award, he thanked his colleagues for their support.
“I’m very honored to accept the award, but this is a team sport and it’s not one person who gets everything done,” he said. “I hope I can continue to provide the community with the best service I can and to do my part alongside my colleagues.”
Gronlund’s honor signified a moment of positivity amidst a volatile period for police in the U.S., who have faced increasingly negative attitudes in a new atmosphere of anti-police sentiment.
“These are very difficult times, as the world has become so troublingly violent that it’s time to express words to thank every man and woman who serves in public safety,” Lincolnwood Mayor Jerry Turry said.
Addressing the large group of police officers who had gathered at Village Hall to support Gronlund, Turry said, “We want you to know how much we care, as you work to make us all safe. When you’re out there we think about you and your safety.”
Natalie Hayes is a freelancer.
