Crime & Safety
Geneva Police Join in Salute to Peace Officers
The Kane County Chiefs of Police Association hosts its annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Ceremony at Mooseheart in Batavia.
To serve and protect.
It’s a motto that many of us take for granted, but it is one that peace officers live by, and sometimes the stakes are high.
Since records started being kept in 1791, 20,000 peace officers have made the ultimate sacrifice, putting their lives on the line for the residents of the communities they serve. Nationally, 16 officers have died in the line of duty this year, including Illinois State Trooper James Sauter, 28, who died in a fiery crash on March 28, 2013.
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Sauter, who according to Officer Down Memorial Page had been a trooper for nearly five years, was parked on the side of Interstate 294 late at night when his vehicle was rear-ended by a semitrailer. He is survived by his wife and family.
Sauter’s family members were among the hundreds of civilians and peace officers who on Wednesday evening, May 13, 2013, converged on Mooseheart, as the Kane County Chiefs of Police Association hosted its annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Ceremony to commemorate the fallen and to show appreciation for those who wear the peace officer’s badge.
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Officers from Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles were among those in attendance for the ceremonies.
Held in the Mooseheart House of God, the evening was a time for such rites as the posting of colors and a lighting of commemorative candles, a time for prayer and patriotism, a time to affirm the oaths peaces officers take when they assume their duties, and a time for remembrance and for appreciation.
Sauter’s family was formally recognized and thanked for their own sacrifice in his loss, and an Illinois State Police representative remembered the trooper as a man who was well-liked and commanded respect.
It also was a time to remember other officers who have died in the line of duty.
Six officers from the Tri-Cities are among the many who have died in the line of duty over the past 128 years:
- Batavia Police Department: Patrolman Clifford E. Ward (1963) and Police Chief Severin Alberovski (1940)
- Geneva Police Department: Officer John G. Porter Jr. (1932), Constable Joseph H. Grant (1885, and Officer John Riley McNett (1885).
- St. Charles Police Department: Sgt. Daniel Paul Figgins (2005) and Officer Vaughn Olson (2007).
Wednesday was the culmination of the activities this week, which is National Police Week 2013, which recognizes those who sacrificed their lives while on the job, and expresses appreciation to the 900,000 men and woman who serve and protect their communities across the nation.
