Some good news about sheriff, others

I just hate when this excellent venue we call free speech is utilized as a smear campaign for political gain at the expense of a stellar reputation. On Dec. 12, Bob and Helen Davis wrote about two incidents they selected to make the DuPage Sheriff's department and Sheriff John Zaruba out to be corrupt or nonresponsive to our community needs.

The only situations that were being ignored were yet to be printed. On Nov. 11, our local Community Emergency Response Team was called into action by Sheriff Zaruba. We are an all-volunteer civilian team of 400-plus trained responders from all around DuPage County. Virtually everyone on this team has been trained and drilled by the sheriff at no expense to taxpayers.

Within 30 minutes of being called, more than 60 CERT. volunteers arrived at a forest preserve to assist deputies in finding an 8-year-old autistic boy who had wondered off in the woods from his family. He was found safe and uninjured despite plummeting temperatures in the pitch black 1,700-acre woods.

Sheriff Zaruba also walked the isles of Walmart with one of hundreds of underprivileged kids, shopping for Christmas gifts for their families. I know because my wife and I were there wrapping those gifts for three hours. We and 10 other CERT. members thoroughly enjoyed seeing those kids receive all those gifts free in addition to a kick off breakfast and a ride in a real police vehicle.

Now I am not interested in tearing down our public officials and political candidates from any persuasion. What I am interested in is "good news" and a spirit of gratitude for the overwhelming great job all our DuPage County law enforcement agencies perform for us every day.

Ralph G. Hinkle

Executive director, Milton Township CERT.

Wheaton