Bartlett police honor employees of the year

The Bartlett Police Department has named Officer Russell Cionko its 2018 Officer of the Year and Community Service Officer John Teevans its 2018 Civilian Employee of the Year.

Cionko was recognized by his supervisors and peers for providing exceptional service and consistently presenting himself in a highly professional manner, officials said.

A department member for 11 years, Cionko was responsible for handling several serious criminal investigations in a sensitive manner during 2018.

Earlier in the year, he provided valuable assistance to a federal agency during its investigation of a serious incident. And, in December, he was able to identify and arrest a suspect alleged to have committed several residential burglaries in Bartlett and Kane County.

Cionko currently is a detective in the investigations section and also a member of the DuPage County Major Crimes Taskforce.

Teevans has been a member of the department for about five years and previously received its Civilian of the Year award for 2016.

In late June, he received a complimentary note from a resident after helping save several ducklings that had fallen down a sewer drain. In September, he was able to coordinate the recovery of a resident's driver's license, which she had accidentally left behind at O'Hare International Airport.

Colleagues also recognized Teevans for the joy and passion he puts into everyday tasks and assignments. He played an integral role in the department's successful lip sync challenge last summer and provided various presentations throughout the year to the citizens police academy and Victory Centre residents.