For Buffalo Grove officer of the year, serving the community was a longtime goal

Buffalo Grove's police officer of the year honors went this week to someone whose longtime goal was to serve the village.

The Buffalo Grove Rotary Club and Police Chief Steven Casstevens presented the 2021 award to officer Eric Sarat at a village board meeting Monday.

"I feel incredibly honored for my peers and my co-workers to select me as officer of the year," Sarat said. "There's so many of us who do such great work on a consistent basis. To be chosen is really an incredible feeling."

"I'm so blessed to just be able to work in a town like this and a community like this, with the co-workers that I have and the residents that live here," he added.

A Wheeling High School graduate, Sarat became familiar with the community in part by working at the local Lou Malnati's pizzeria.

"When I started the training process here, I already knew the town pretty well from delivering in the area," he said.

Sarat was hired by the Buffalo Grove Police Department in March 2018. He became a member of the Major Crash Assistance Team in January.

He has received numerous awards, including the department's Life Saving Award in 2019 and 2021. He also was honored by the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists in 2019 and 2020

As part of the honor, Rotary will donate $500 in Sarat's name - $250 to the Rotary Foundation and $250 to UNICEF Ukraine.

Also Monday, officer Jaime Verduzco received a special commendation for his service.

A member of the department since 2006, Verduzco serves on the Lake County Major Crime Task Force and is an original member of the department's honor guard.

He has received a number of awards, including the Life Saving Award, unit citations and employee of the quarter.

"During this past year, he successfully carried the caseload of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force as well as multiple Buffalo Grove cases," Casstevens said.