Teen safety program earns Crystal Lake cop international accolade

Sean McGrath's efforts to make the highways safer, especially for teen drivers, are well known and often duplicated throughout the suburban law enforcement community.

Now the world law enforcement community is taking notice as well.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police, an organization of 20,000 members in 89 countries, this year is giving the Crystal Lake police officer its prestigious J. Stannard Baker Award for Highway Safety.

The award, given annually to just one municipal police officer worldwide, recognizes significant outstanding lifetime contributions to highway safety.

"When I first found out about it and I didn't think it could be correct because in the traffic safety field that's one of the top awards you can get," said McGrath, a Crystal Lake police officer since 1991.

Since joining the Crystal Lake department's traffic unit a decade ago, McGrath has led a bicycle helmet giveaway for low-income residents, instructed expectant parents on proper child-seat installation, taught fellow officers, firefighters and rescue workers safe driving techniques and spearheaded several other safety initiatives.

But he probably is best known for Operation Click, a high school program that awards teen drivers with prizes ranging from candy to a new car for wearing seat belts and obeying traffic laws.

McGrath started the program at three Crystal Lake schools in 1998. Today 35 schools across the suburbs and as far away as Champaign County participate.

McGrath, who runs the program on a voluntary basis, deserved the Baker Award for his dedication to keeping highways safe, said the man who nominated him for the award, Hoffman Estates Assistant Police Chief Steve Casstevens.

"You can just see his passion and drive for safety," said Casstevens, who won the same award in 1997. "You know it's not just a show he's putting on. He believes in it."

McGrath is not sure about where that passion comes from, but said it was there almost from the first day he joined his force's traffic unit.

"That's where I realized there's more to the traffic unit than just issuing tickets," he said. "We have to do the best we can every day to prevent injuries from motor vehicle crashes."