Special Olympics honors Buffalo Grove police

Special Olympics Illinois this week honored the Buffalo Grove Police Department for efforts to raise more than $55,000 for the organization through the 2018 Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Katie Risley, director of development for Special Olympics Illinois, and Global Messenger Stephen Katz presented Police Chief Steve Casstevens with a plaque at Monday's village board committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Katz delivered a speech about the police force's efforts, capped by an enthusiastic, "You rock!"

The police department is involved in several events to support Special Olympics, including a trivia night, dunk a cop, dunk a trustee, cop on the rooftop and tip a cop at Culver's.

Casstevens said when he became chief in 2013, the department put together a team for the torch run.

"We raised $18,000, and I thought that was a pretty good year," he said. "Last year, we raised $55,361. So that's an awesome year, and I hope we can continue to do more this year."