Heartfelt message of gratitude from President JogmenJuly 7, 2022
Members of the ILACP:
Dozens of innocent parade goers were injured and seven lost their lives. Our community has been devastated by this intentional, senseless act of violence and, I know, our pain is shared statewide. The men and women of the Highland Park Police Department offer our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones this Monday and send our thoughts and prayers to those who were injured. We know that all of Illinois Law Enforcement joins us. I also wanted to take a moment to offer our gratitude and profound appreciation to those law enforcement agencies who came to our assistance on Monday, and those that have continued to support our agency as the investigation has progressed. The men and women of the Highland Park Police Department, and the residents of Highland Park, are eternally grateful to each one of you. This incident significantly challenged our resources and temporarily compromised our ability to provide public safety services. Your collective efforts cut through the darkness of that morning and made it possible for our agency, and community, to steady ourselves, re-orient and drive forward.Federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies quickly responded, coalesced and became singularly focused on addressing and mitigating this incident. My team and I could not have been more impressed with the professionalism, competence, teamwork, compassion and sacrifice displayed by all involved. It was clear from the onset that everyone was working together, and it has remained that way since the morning of July 4th. As police staffing continues to be an issue nationwide, it is not lost on me that those agencies who have dedicated staffing through ILEAS are making an enormous sacrifice. I have visited with your officers and, while they acknowledge that your departments share the staffing issues we all are experiencing, they are grateful for the opportunity to serve the devastated residents of Highland Park. I can say that your officers are all representing their respective agencies with pride and professionalism. I, personally, thank each of you for allowing your staff to come to our aid. I know it is not without burden and cost. Finally, it is important for you all to know that I am unbelievably proud of Illinois Law Enforcement. Having been in law enforcement for over 30 years, I have had many opportunities to experience the good work we do here in Illinois. However, I can say that everything I have seen and experienced over the past few days reinforces the idea that we have the finest police officers and deputy sheriffs in the country. Please share this with your staff and let them know that they are the pride of our nation. And that we are forever grateful to them for their service. Thank you all again and be safe.
Lou Jogmen |
