Lombard Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association Year in Review

Founded in 1997, the organization has become involved in the community in a way that most volunteer organizations aspire to be. Not only is the organization about 60 members strong, but they are true ambassadors for the Police Department in everything they do.

The group is involved in helping out the Police Department in a variety of ways, but their assistance has been called upon by many other groups as well. The following is a list of events the LCPAAA has helped out with in 2011:

• Lilac Time Arts & Crafts Fair

• Lilac Mutt Strut

• Lilac Parade

• Lombard Police Department Open House

• Law Enforcement Torch Run

• Taste of Lombard

o Thirty-eight members worked more than 449 hours during the event.

• Marine Homecoming

• Roadside Safety Checks

• September 11 Ceremony

• Safety Saturday, DuPage County Fairgrounds

o Purpose: To heighten public awareness about safety and crime prevention.

• Sierra Club Prairie Path Bike Ride

• Lombard Cruise Nights

• National Night Out

o America's night out against crime

• Wire Watch

• Citizen Police Academy Classes

• Memorial Day Ceremony

• Lombard Veterinary Pet Blessing

• 5/3 Bank Health Event

• Tri-Town Taste

• Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure

• Village of Lombard Senior Fair

• Lombard Town Centre “Spooktacular”

• Glenbard East Boosters 5K Ram Run

• “Touch A Truck” Event

• Shop With A Cop

The LCPAAA not only assists the Lombard Police Department and many other

community organizations, but they are also sensitive to the fact that many public service

people must work the holidays and thus are not able to be with their families. The LCPAAA members traditionally bring home-cooked holiday dinners to the on-shift Lombard Police Officers who are working, making the time spent away from their families just a little easier.

Funding special projects is yet another aspect of the LCPAAA. For example, the group helps a special fundraiser to raise money to purchase a vest for Lombard's K-9 dog, Chico.

Continuing to learn above and beyond what its members learned while enrolled in the Lombard CPA class (the next one will be held in March), members periodically get visits from guest speakers at their monthly meetings or will take a field trip, most recently which included tours of the Homeland Security Education Center at College of DuPage and a tour of the DuPage County Courthouse. The group also recently was included in a training seminar for Chicagoland officers.

All work and no play is not the group's motto either. Social interaction with its members and the officers are a part of its mission as well. Advised by Lombard Police Sergeant William “Bud” Marks, the group takes time to have fun with an annual picnic and holiday party.

Congratulations to the members of the Lombard Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association on a well-rounded and stellar year of community involvement and volunteerism.

“The amount of contributions to the Police Department and the Village that this group of dedicated volunteers makes is unbelievable,” said Lombard Police Lieutenant Scott Watkins. “As you can tell, there are many, many activities and projects that simply would not get done without them,” he added.