Naperville citizens group honors top policemen
Naperville Police Department employees going beyond the call of duty got their day in the spotlight Friday.
The Citizens Appreciate Public Safety Committee honored 12 employees for their extra effort in a special ceremony. The fire and police board also named Sgt. Thomas Gallahue its officer of the year.
Jerry Feldott, president of the citizens committee, said the group looks for the "individual in the department who not only does an extraordinary job ... but goes beyond that for the citizens of Naperville to do things that are community-minded on their time off, go the extra mile."
Among the CAPS Award winners, officer Jason Stubler took home the top prize, the George Pradel Award for Public Service.
"Jason is an extremely interesting individual at his young age," Feldott said. "He's been on our force five years and in that time he has consistently done things on his own time that benefit both his profession and the citizens of Naperville to keep our streets safer and he also works closely with organizations as far as the youth goes in our town."
Stubler was nominated by a Naperville family that was impressed by his responsiveness to their concerns about traffic on their street. He is a state-certified crash reconstruction specialist who also writes annual reports on traffic issues that are sent to the state as well as the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
"If my actions helped save one person from injury or one person from death, then we as a community have won - that victory means more than any award," Stubler said.
Other CAPS Award winners include officer Kenneth Gettemy, Cmdr. Kenneth Parcel and an investigative team including Detectives Mike Cross, Nick Liberio, Jamie Griffith, Sgt. Bill Davis, officers Brian Kappelman, Mike Sailer, Chris Berard, Mike Geiger and crime scene technician Elizabeth Guerrero-Davis.
The team worked to solve the murders of four family members in Naperville and Aurora. Eric Hanson was ultimately convicted of murdering his parents, sister and brother-in-law. The police team has been praised by the DuPage County State's Attorney's office for its perseverance, teamwork and determination.
Gettemy received the award for his extensive investigation into a man involved in a dispute last spring. His research uncovered a warrant for the man related to a 1980 burglary in Florida. Gettemy is also certified by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security as an instructor for weapons of mass destruction, terrorism and personal protective equipment and is certified for gang and narcotics enforcement. Outside his job, he volunteers for the Special Olympics of Illinois.
Parcel, commander of the criminal investigations unit, was recognized for his outreach work with children including starting the Skater's Picnic that drew more than 300 area youth last year. The 20-year veteran is also a longtime volunteer baseball coach and was a board member of Family Shelter Service.
Gallahue, the officer of the year winner, is a 21-year veteran who works in the special operations section. He is a member of the Naperville's Special Response Team and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System Region 4 Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Team.
Terry Klein, police and fire board chairman, said Gallahue drew praise from colleagues for keeping the team focused, spending hours doing research and preparation.
The board also honored Donald "DJ" Andries. He spent 16 years on Naperville's police until he died of natural causes in December 2008 at the age of 47. Klein said Andries' peers praised his "calming presence" and willingness to listen.