Joan Hutchinson, a resident of Park Ridge for more than 40 years, was recognized recently as the Park Ridge Police Department’s Volunteer of the Year.
Hutchinson is a member of the Citizens Patrol, an all-volunteer extension of the police department, which assists police during public events or emergencies. Members also patrol the city in their own cars on assigned nights, looking for any suspicious or problematic activity. If they see something, members contact the police to report it.
Q: When did you join Citizens Patrol?
A: I joined in 2010. I joined because I took the Park Ridge Citizens Police Academy and I thought they did such a wonderful job and the class was so interesting. They mentioned if you wanted to, you could sign up for Citizens Patrol and learn even more things. I thought, “That’s for me.”
Q: What do you do as a member of Citizens Patrol?
A: [One thing we do is] look for open garage doors and phone them into the police station to let them know the doors are open and they could be burglarized. We also help out at the Taste of Park Ridge and the carnival; we block traffic during emergency calls, downed power lines, floods and crashes; and we do traffic control for Maine South’s football games. We’re kept kind of busy. I’m on the 24/7 list, so I could be called day or night.
Q: What part of your work do you like most?
A: Working with the community. I just love meeting people and talking to them and just trying to help them out.
Q: What else do you enjoy doing?
A: I like to do arts and crafts for our annual [Citizens Patrol] banquet. I usually make up a table centerpiece. We’re going on our 38th year, and I’ve got something special this year that I’m thinking up. I also enjoy visiting my daughter in Bloomington, Indiana. She has three children, and my son in Aurora has five children. We visit them quite often.
Q: What kind of work did you do when you were younger?
A: I worked for two years in the Maine South writing lab. I showed the teachers how to use the computers because that was kind of new to them. Then I worked for 11 years at Maine West High School, and I was secretary to the fine arts director there for three years. Then I became secretary to the assistant principal. In prior years — way back when — I was a computer programmer. Things have changed so much since then!
Q: How did you feel about getting the Volunteer of the Year award?
A: I was shocked because I didn’t think I’d ever receive that. I like to volunteer, but I didn’t realize how many hours I racked up just volunteering. To me, I’m just working for the pleasure of helping other people and the pleasure of getting out once in a while, meeting other people and being active.
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
