Vernon Hills police officers Jon Paret and Chelsea Britten were among those who participated in the Oct. 4 national “Coffee with a Cop” event at McDonalds, and they spent time talking with Bernie Adams of Libertyville and retired Hawthorn 73 teacher Michelle DiCarlo, who resides in Mundelein.
Q: Did you learn anything new from the officers?
DiCarlo: Yes, we mentioned the massacre in Las Vegas and asked them how easy is it to purchase an assault rife. They explained to us that it’s relatively not difficult to do, which is terrifying.
Adams: I learned that (Officer Britten) saved someone’s life. I didn’t know we were in the presence of a star. It’s incredible what they know how to do.
Q: How did you save a life?
Britten: It was an attempted suicide at a park. I had six months on the job, but the training prepared me well.
Paret: The man started a grill inside his car. When we found him, his oxygen levels were extremely low. She did what an officer is supposed to do: check on things that are out of the ordinary.
Q: Did you learn anything from the citizens?
Paret: I’m a school resource officer and they gave me some insight on what parents are doing while waiting in line to pick up students. Some are talking or texting on their phones, others take too long because they’re doing other things after getting their passengers.
Q: What lessons or advice are you passing along to citizens?
Paret: As a resource officer I want the children to know we’re here to help and we’re not always looking to bust people for stuff. A new thing we’re working on, is telling kids not to leave their backpacks unattended. Even if you’re just going to the bathroom and your friend is watching it, you never know when your friend is going to leave or get a phone call. It’s a two-pronged thing: We’re trying to prevent theft, but also unattended bags are more and more being reported as suspicious items and potential bombs. Yeah, that’s unfortunately where the world is going.
