Glen Ellyn police dog gets bulletproof vest thanks to woman's donation

Ellen Melka may live in Wheaton, but she insisted on doing a good deed for a Glen Ellyn police officer and his four-legged, crime-fighting partner.

Melka first met officer Tony Terranova about a year ago when Glen Ellyn police were staking out the roof of a Dunkin' Donuts for a Special Olympics fundraiser. It's also an annual community outreach opportunity that lets cops mingle with the residents they serve.

So instead of hurrying through the customer line, Melka struck up a conversation with Terranova and took interest in his role as a handler for the department's police dog, Officer Madden, a now 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever.

That chat inspired Melka to make a donation that allowed the department to purchase a bulletproof vest to protect Madden on the job and give Terranova peace of mind.

"Ellen did not want any notoriety, did not want a big to-do made of this, but we couldn't let this act of generosity go unnoticed," police Chief Phil Norton said.

So police invited a humble Melka to the village board meeting this week to recognize her act of kindness.

Melka declined to address trustees, but she did give an encouraging pat on the back to Madden, modeling his bulletproof vest and garnering a collective "Aww!" from the audience.

"What a special thing to do," Village President Diane McGinley said.

Melka also accepted a gift basket filled with "police swag" that the department typically puts together for community groups to raise funds at auctions.

But this time, police added a special present just for Melka: A framed picture of Madden in his new vest.