Buffalo Grove police honored for going 'Above and Beyond' with major crime task force
In recognition of its work on major crime investigations, the Buffalo Grove Police Department this week received the inaugural Above and Beyond Award from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
The partnership between the department and the task force is an important one that makes Buffalo Grove "a destination police department for young law enforcement professionals," said Deputy Chief Scott Eisenmenger.
Buffalo Grove officers have played a key role in the task force since it was founded in 1992. Its mission is to assist local law enforcement agencies in solving major crimes such as murders and kidnappings.
The group summons a cadre of talented and skilled investigators to aid in investigations that would be taxing for municipal departments lacking manpower and experience.
Task force Assistant Team Commander Dan Thomas told the Buffalo Grove village board there is a special connection between the village and task force.
"And they have been with us since the inception," he said.
The task force's first commander was former Lake County Sheriff Gary Del Re, who previously served as a police commander in Buffalo Grove.
Current members include Buffalo Grove Lt. Tom Nugent, an assistant commanders; Investigator Jamie Verduzco; Investigator Brian Hansen; Evidence Technician Ryan Kass; and Evidence Technician Taylor Franzen.
"That's a major commitment to this task force," Thomas said. "What that tells us is that Buffalo Grove is not only committed in ensuring that the task force has the personnel that they need, but ensuring that their citizens are going to be covered if something were to happen here in Buffalo Grove."
Naturally, he said, Buffalo Grove is the first recipient of the Above and Beyond Award.
"When we saw that Buffalo Grove was contributing five personnel at the same time to our team, that's a major, significant contribution. It's above and beyond what's expected. And we want to celebrate that and show our appreciation for it," Thomas said.