Crime Stoppers event lauds officers, civilian
The annual Crime Stoppers Officer of the Year award banquet, held on May 4, recognized Arlington Heights Police Officer Petar Milutinovic and Police Officer Sean Edmondson.
Victim Services Coordinator Kristin Eby was also given an award at the banquet as the Police Department's Civilian Employee of the Year.
The Crime Stoppers Award is presented annually to a selected member of the Arlington Heights Police Department who has made a recognizable contribution to the community's crime fighting effort through an arrest or suppression of criminal activity.
Investigator Petar Milutinovic graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago, earning a bachelor of arts degree in political science and criminal justice. Milutinovic began his career in law enforcement, serving nine years with the Chicago Police Department. He was hired by the Arlington Heights Police Department in 2008, and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau's midnight shift for approximately four years.
Milutinovic is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau. In addition to his assignments in the General Adult Investigations Division, his ancillary responsibilities involve managing burglary cases. Milutinovic is a Forensic Technician and Certified Computer Voice Stress Examiner.
Having been involved in a number of long-term investigations, Milutinovic developed an association with the Cook County State's Attorney Regional Organized Crime Task Force. He has been the recipient of numerous department commendations and letters of appreciation from citizens and other law enforcement agencies.
Officer Sean Edmondson was raised in Elgin and Geneva and graduated from Geneva High School in 2002. He was awarded his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2006 from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and his master's degree in threat and response management in 2016 from the University of Chicago.
Edmondson's law enforcement career began in 2007 when he was hired by the Arlington Heights Police Department. While assigned to the Patrol Division, he was awarded a commendation by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, for exemplary performance in the area of DUI enforcement.
He is currently assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau as an investigator. Officer Edmondson has specialized in gang crimes enforcement. In addition to his primary duties, Edmondson serves as a member of the Arlington Heights Police Department Honor Guard.
In the course of his 10-year career, Edmondson received the 2016 Cook County Regional Organized Crime Award and has been the recipient of complimentary letters from citizens and other law enforcement agencies, multiple commendations and distinguished service citations.
Kristin Eby is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and has more than 17 years of experience within the field of victim advocacy, education and therapeutic services. Eby has a bachelor's degree in human services from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree from Northern Illinois University in marriage and family therapy.
Eby has worked at the Children's Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County, a nonprofit organization, that specializes in providing child sensitive forensic interviews when allegations of sexual abuse or severe physical abuse have been reported.
She worked there for 4½ years as a child and family advocate, therapist, as well as a forensic interviewer.
Eby has also provided part-time therapy services for both the child/adolescent and adult therapeutic teams at the Kenneth Young Center in Elk Grove Village for seven years.
Eby is currently employed with the Arlington Heights Police Department and works as the department's Victim Services coordinator. She provides an array of services to victims and their families.
Some of these services are crisis intervention, follow-up/case management, court advocacy, education on victim rights/services, outreach and information and referrals to appropriate community agencies.
Eby is the acting president for the Association of Police Social Workers, which is a group of mental health professionals dedicated to the development, practice and enhancement of social services within police department settings.
She sits on a variety of boards and committees aimed at comprehensively serving all victims of crime and providing them with the utmost compassion and support services.