Elgin police officer named American Legion's top cop

An Elgin police officer was recently named Illinois' top cop by the American Legion.

Detective David Baumgartner was selected as the state's Police Officer of the Year.

He'll now compete against 55 other officers from around the country for the American Legion's national award.

Elgin police officials couldn't be reached for comment on Friday.

But in a prepared statement, police said Baumgartner has been a huge asset to the department during his 11 years in Elgin.

"He consistently leads his shift, or is in the top tier of officers with felony arrests -- particularly burglary, robbery and other serious felonies," the statement says.

In the past year alone, he's made more than 65 felony arrests and more than 100 misdemeanor arrests, the statement says.

He's also been one of the department's top training officers -- recently working with a new recruit to catch a burglar stealing copper from a home construction site, according to the statement.

"This led to the closure of several other burglaries in Kane County, as well as turning out to be an excellent learning experience for the recruit," it says. "This speaks volumes about officer Baumgartner's character, as our department entrusts the future of the department with him as he trains new officers."

Elgin police will recognize Baumgartner at a ceremony at 3 p.m. Aug. 13 at The Centre of Elgin.