Schaumburg commemorates National Police Week with ceremony honoring fallen officers
Present and past members of the Schaumburg Police Department were joined Monday by other village officials and supporters for its first local memorial service recognizing National Police Week.
The ceremony honored the memories of the nine Illinois police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty in 2024. It also remembered the two Schaumburg officers who’d died in prior years — Roy Reininger on New Year’s Eve 1992 and Frank Russo on Nov. 1, 2008.
Following a presentation of a memorial wreath, Schaumburg Deputy Police Chief Joe Dugan told the assembled crowd that each name was a story of courage.
“Behind every badge was a person … and a life lived with purpose,” he said. “It was never about recognition. It was about duty. In their final moments, they gave all.”
In his invocation, department chaplain and St. Peter Lutheran Church Pastor Jerry Hays prayed that God help and guide the loved ones they’d left behind through the knowledge that their legacy would never be forgotten.
“We thank you for their service and their dedication to keeping us safe,” he said.
Mayor Tom Dailly’s proclamation recognizing National Police Week honored the more than 800,000 law enforcement officers currently serving in the U.S. and the more than 24,000 killed in the line of duty since the first was recorded in 1786.
He added the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. saw the addition of 345 new names of fallen heroes this spring — 148 from 2024 and 197 from prior years.
Monday’s ceremony also remembered the four additional Schaumburg officers from 1963 to 2021 who were still active members of the department at the time they died.
Police Chief Bill Wolf also called to mind the sacrifices made daily by every member of the department, from time spent with family to their own safety and peace of mind.
“These are the things that happen with every police officer, regardless,” Wolf said. “It’s part of their jobs.”
The Schaumburg Police Department has made it possible for even those not present to show their support for law enforcement throughout the week.
Commander Christy Lindhurst said the station still has some of the 500 blue light bulbs acquired for residents to use outside their homes this week. The Versailles on the Lakes apartment complex off Plum Grove Road has stated its intention to use blue illumination on its fountain, she added.