February 28, 2017
For immediate release
Contact: Ed Wojcicki, Executive Director 217.414.7790 – cell; or [email protected]

Illinois Chiefs name 3 legislators 
Public Officials of the Year for 2016

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police has named three state legislators as its Public Officials of the Year for 2016. They will be honored Wednesday, March 8, 2017, during the association’s annual legislative reception in Springfield.

The three are: Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago; Senator Pamela Althoff, RMcHenry; and Representative John Cabello, R-Machesney Park.

“Our legislative and policy-making activities are among our most important work, and we want to recognize these outstanding public officials so dedicated to the issues of deep concern to us,” said Steven Casstevens, ILACP president and Chief of Police in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

Cullerton has been a longtime champion of public safety initiatives in the state of Illinois, and previously won the association’s Public Official of the Year award in 2001, before he was Senate President. Earlier in his career he participated in a joint effort in the evolution of seatbelt enforcement in this state. He has consistently used his leadership role to promote wise public safety legislation, while tempering those items that would reduce law enforcement’s ability to serve the residents of the state of Illinois. “In an era when some public officials have become unfriendly to law enforcement, Cullerton remains a voice of reason and does a remarkable job balancing the concerns of his constituents with the needs of police,” Casstevens said. “We very much appreciate his leadership.”

Althoff, also a longtime supporter of public safety legislation, is very open to discussing law enforcement issues with the chiefs in her district. She was a main sponsor of strengthening the state’s child abduction statute and she wants to strengthen the Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act, making it easier to dispose of those substances turned in to police. Althoff currently serves on the Human Trafficking Task Force and the Illinois Bicentennial Celebration Task Force. She supports law enforcement endeavors and has been a strong voice in McHenry County for Opioid Substance Abuse Prevention and Awareness.

“I am committed to supporting our law enforcement officers because as a former mayor I understand the sacrifices they make every day to protect our communities,” Althoff said. “As I continue my duties as a legislator, I will continue to be a champion in the General Assembly for our men and women in blue and I will keep working to make sure our officers are safe while in the line of duty.”

Cabello, a 21-year sworn officer in the Rockford Police Department, uses his experience to inform other legislators about law enforcement legislation, and he supports public safety efforts recommended by the Illinois law enforcement community. His own Republican Caucus looks to him to be a leader on legislation affecting the police. He is their spokesperson on the new Committee on Police and First Responders and for the Appropriations-Public Safety Committee. When Cabello is not focused on issues affecting his district, he works in the Rockford Police Traffic Unit as an investigator. As a state representative and traffic investigator, Cabello is dedicated to helping his community and constituents.

“I have been in many meetings with Cabello, and I have seen firsthand that as a sworn officer, he is able to explain to other legislators what it’s like to be a cop on the street, and that’s very effective,” said Ed Wojcicki, ILACP Executive Director.

Cullerton, Althoff and Cabello will be recognized during the association’s legislative reception from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, 701 East Adams, Springfield. The public is invited to attend and congratulate the honorees.

The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, incorporated in 1941, has 1,300 members and is dedicated to the professional development of law enforcement leaders in Illinois.