Congratulations to the 2016 Law Enforcement Innovation Award Winners

Lake County State’s Attorney, Mundelein Police Department and Waukegan Police Department Win Top Honors

 

On Thursday, May 19th 2016, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and Mundelein Police Department tied as first place winners in the 2016 Law Enforcement Innovation Awards. Waukegan Police Department scored third in the competition and was recognized with an Honorable Mention. The awards were presented at the Lake County Municipal League’s Law Enforcement Innovation Awards Dinner at the Gurnee Holiday Inn.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office won the competition with the Lake County Opioid Initiative, which was designed to develop, implement, evaluate and sustain a multi-strategy county-wide effort to prevent opioid abuse, addition, overdose and death. This initiative has saved 63 lives to date and has proven to be extremely sustainable.

Mundelein Police Department tied for the top honor with their implementation of a Latino Citizens’ Police Academy that provides participants with a ten-week training including presentations about various jobs in the police department and how those jobs benefit the community, how to obtain a U visa, self-defense training, explanations of the legal system, how to prepare a living will and more.

Waukegan Police Department was the next highest scorer with their Resiliency Program designed to reach all employees and family members of the Waukegan Police Department by delivering wellness services and offering support at varying degrees including a modernized athletic facility, peer mentoring group, family support group and a contract with a police specialized psychologist.

A remarkable group of Lake County leaders gathered for the event including representation from seventeen municipalities and police departments, Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael Nerheim, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, Commanding Officer of the Great Lakes Naval Base, Captain James Hawkins and legislative representation from the offices of State Representative Ed Sullivan, US Congressman Bob Dold and US Senator Mark Kirk.

Joe Ahern, CEO of The 100 Club was the keynote speaker for the evening and spoke of his experience visiting the home of the Flisk family after Chicago Police Officer and Evidence Technician, Michael Flisk, was shot and killed while investigating a garage burglary in Chicago. Officer Flisk’s daughter, Peg, in her last year of law school at The John Marshall Law School, shared with the group the differences in her life that The 100 Club had made, including financing her education.

Joe was also joined by Elizabeth Kelly, wife of fallen Illinois State Trooper, James Sauter and LaVar Merrell, son of fallen Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant L.C. Merrell.

 

 

About The Law Enforcement Innovation Awards Program

The LCML Law Enforcement Innovation Awards program is designed to recognize exceptional, innovative and extraordinary achievement in law enforcement programs or efforts and initiatives that benefit law enforcement as a profession. The awards program also facilitates an exchange of information and experiences to build capacity for municipalities and jointly celebrate successful programs that could benefit other departments and their communities.

 

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