Jonathan Officer Honored as Buffalo Grove Police Officer of the Year

DSC_0235In 2018, Officer Jonathan Officer proved that hard work pays off. He was honored at the April 15, 2019 Village Board meeting as the 2018 Buffalo Grove Police Officer of the Year, due to his continued demonstration of self-initiated activities as a patrol officer, field training officer, department instructor, and Northern Illinois Police Alarm System - Mobile Field Force member.

“Jonathan is an outstanding police officer who is very respected by his supervisors and his peers,” said Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steven Casstevens. “He is incredibly hard-working and dedicated to the Department, the Village, and the profession.”

Jonathan Officer came to the Buffalo Grove Police Department in 2017 and utilized his prior police experiences as a sergeant with the University of Illinois at Chicago to immerse himself in the department immediately. Officer led the department in overall arrests (94), of which numerous were felonies for drug and DUI offenses, as well as a firearms offenses. He was recognized by Chief Steven Casstevens for the “Looking Beyond the Traffic Stop” award, for which he stopped a vehicle for speeding and the stop resulted in a felony drug arrest.

The department recognized Officer as Employee of the 2nd Quarter in part due to his significant efforts towards traffic safety by enforcing the laws that contribute to crashes and injuries.

“None of these achievements could have been realized without the help of my fellow officers, co-workers, supervisors, command staff, and the citizens of Buffalo Grove,” Officer said. “Law enforcement truly is a team effort and I’m proud to be a member of Buffalo Grove Police Department, and the greater community.”

While Officer was extremely busy during his midnight shift assignment, he has continued his deep involvement in the Department by joining the Honor Guard, which is comprised of officers who regularly exceed Department standards and expectations, and volunteers to represent the agency at police officer funerals and other special events.

Officer has brought a wealth of knowledge to the agency as a licensed Illinois attorney, certified Use of Force instructor, and an Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Spray instructor. Jon attended the prestigious Force Science Institute, which dives deep into behavioral science empirical research and human dynamics behind the use of force of law enforcement officers during critical incidents. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Staff and Command (Class #417).