*ICOPS - Illinois Council Of Police

★ICOPSPOLICEBULLETINOfficial Union Publication October 2012GOOD GUYS: Deerfield, Winthrop HarborDeerfield policeimprovised to save a lifeThis story is old news but it’s still good news. On theafternoon of January 1, Deerfield Police Officer StevePettorelli, Sergeant Bill Annen, Sergeant IainMcCowan and Officer Andy Kupsak saved the lifeof a man by pulling him out of a car that was rapidlyfilling up with water and floating on a retention pond.Police are often the first responders at the scene, andthey’re not trained in water rescue. So for the four officers,improvising was the rule of the day.None of the responding officers had done anything likethis before. Iain McCowan arrived first and saw the carin the water approximately two feet from the side wallof the retention pond.The officers got the man out of the car as it filled withwater. “It was up to his chin by the time we pulled him,”Steve Pettorelli said. They all knew the circumstanceswould have been different without the help of residentsand at another time of day.The 55-year-old victim was driving a 1995 Mercedes. Inthe car behind, the driver and passenger saw the victim’scar hit the curb, careen onto the grassy median and plungeinto the pond. The passenger ran to tell the security guardin the housing development what had happened and hecalled the police. Four officers were nearby, all respondedimmediately and arrived very quickly.According to news reports at the time, McCowan said: “Iasked him (the victim) if he was OK and he said nothing.I put my foot on the roof to balance myself and it (the car)floated. Water was rising from the inside. I had no ideahow deep it (the pond) is and it was cold.” The car’swindows were closed.McCowan broke the window with his baton and grabbedthe man’s belt loop to hold him up. Pettorelli arrived nextand held McCowan by his service belt to give him support.Fortunately, Bill Annen had a pocket knife he usedto cut the seat belt so the four of them could get the manout of the car. “He was out in 30 seconds,” Annen said.The Deerfield Fire Department took him to an emergencyroom and confirmed the cause of the incident arose froma medical condition.Credits: Deerfield Patch, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch news reportsOfficer Andy Kupsak, Sergeant Bill Annen, Officer Steve Pettorelli and Sergeant IainMcCowan [left to right] were presented Special Commendation Awards by DeerfieldPolice Chief John Sliozis. “This is the highest honor our department gives out andwe don’t give it out very often,” Sliozis said at a village board meeting.There’s more tothis story thanmeets the eye...Deerfield Officers Andy Kupsakand Steve Pettorelli are ICOPsmembers. So we have the privilegeof writing more about themthan what’s in the newspapers.Andy and Steve emphasize timeand again that the saving of alife was a team effort, a team ofpolice and residents. They oughtto know because — turn topage 6 (Deerfield, continued) andto page 4 (for Winthrop Harbor)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and your safetyby Sam Stratton, ICOPs Vice-PresidentThe threat to a police officer’s safety is something weare all aware of. It is beaten into our head from Day 1of academy training. We are taught that nothing is“routine” and to always be aware of our surroundings.We know the threats we face and are willing to suit upevery day and face them.As of late, we’ve all heard disturbing headlines suchas Officer killed by Iraq War Veteran, Officer assaultedby Veteran with PTSD, or Police take Veteran intocustody after standoff.As a Combat Veteran, I know and understand what someof these Veterans are feeling. They spend the better partof their military careers learning how to positively identifya threat and what to do when they find it. All the whilethere are explosions rattling their teeth and bullets flyingaround them. Now, they come home and are supposed to“turn it off,” they’re supposed to “act normal.”Combat Veterans also learn to never, under any circumstance,run over anything in the roadway. I’ve been homefrom Iraq for five years now, and the hair on the back ofmy neck still stands up if I have to drive over a manholecover or run over any debris in the roadway.As a police officer observing these actions you may conducta traffic stop based on erratic driving. Be aware andlook for signs of military service, such as a specializedplate, a bumper sticker, or military-type clothing.As police officers we have to deal with the everincreasingnumber of Combat Veterans who have somesort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). SomeCombat Veterans will seek help, while others try todeal with it themselves.Make no mistake; these are not the “everyday citizens”we’re dealing with. All Combat Veterans have beentrained to kill. They may not have had a job in themilitary that required them to do so, but at one time intheir military careers they were taught to shoot, move,and communicate.I encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in lawenforcement to seek out training in how to deal withVeterans. The Justice Department has started programsaround the country to train law enforcement in dealingwith Combat Veterans (see left below). I encourageall of you to learn about PTSD and how to deal with it.Above all, Be Safe, and go home to your loved onesat the end of each shift.Where to start looking for helpIn January 2012, DOJ began funding a national trainingprogram to help police deal with an increasing numberof volatile confrontations involving highly-trained andoften heavily armed combat veterans.Developers of the program said in their announcement thatan “urgent need” exists to de-escalate crises in which evenSWAT teams may be facing tactical disadvantages withsuspects who are trained in modern warfare.No data is yet available that specifically tracks police confrontationswith suspects currently or formerly associatedwith the military. But we know the volume of violentincidents involving military personnel off base has risen toa higher level than we’ve seen before. The training offeredthrough DOJ grants represents one piece of the challenge indealing with an increasing number of combat veterans.You’ll find more information at the following websites:• U.S. Department of Justice, CommunityOriented Policing Services — cops.usdoj.gov• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — ptsd.va.gov• National Institute of Mental Health — nimh.nih.gov• Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute — offersa course in “Public Safety De-Escalation Tactics forMilitary Veterans in Crisis” — umcpi.orgICOPsVice-PresidentSamStrattonSam Stratton, ICOPs Vice-President, joinedthe Winthrop Harbor Police Department as acommunity service officer in 2001. He becamea police officer upon graduating from theacademy and is part of the Lake County MajorCrimes Task Force.For 14 years, Sam served in the U.S. ArmyReserves and was activated twice, once to Iraq.He has received multiple awards, includingthe Purple Heart.OCTOBER 2012 | ICOPs 5

Willow Springs Mike Giorgetti, one of a kindWhen Mike Giorgetti was a police officer, he helpedWillow Springs police officers win their first-ever ICOPscontract in 2003 – not long after they had changed unionsand unanimously voted in ICOPs as their representative.It took less than five months to win the first ICOPs contractfor police in Willow Springs.A few years later after being promoted to sergeant, Mikekept doing good things.For eight years, Mike’s been detailed out by the WillowSprings P.D. to the U.S. Department of Justice, DrugEnforcement Administration. That brings the P.D.money from drug seizures made by Mike and his group,and allows the department to purchase equipment forpolice officers.In 2012, ICOPs negotiated and won a contract for WillowSprings police sergeants. Sergeant Giorgetti told theBulletin regarding the sergeants’ contract that “Nobodyelse would fight for us. ICOPs could have ignored us butdidn’t. It’s nice because we got a contract for the sergeantswithout a fight. And it’s the first time in history thesergeants have ever been in a union. It’s the relationshipICOPs already had with the village that counted.”While on DEA detail, Mike has helped the villageacquire federal grants. Four or five years ago, he obtained$369,000 from FEMA for a Chemical Buffer Zone Grantwhich got the P.D. equipment including two motorizedlighting towers, stabilized binoculars, anti-sniper spottingscopes, and several pairs of regular binoculars.Since last year, Mike’s been working on winning anothergrant called a Federal Port Security Grant from FEMAfor a patrol boat. It’s a lot of work to do this and it takesa long time, he said. He won the first stage approval forthe grant earlier this year and is waiting for the finalapproval. Through this grant, the village would acquire apatrol and response vessel for the I&M Canal, where twochemical companies need to be protected. The vessel willgive police access to unprotected areas of the chemicalcompanies via the canal.Mike does more than straight-up police work, enforcingdrug laws and acquiring FEMA grants. Every year, heraises money for severely handicapped children andparticipates in Toys for Tots.Although he continues to be on DEA detail, Mike saidhe still wants to help Willow Springs P.D. grow with thecommunity. If he can do something to help the departmentand its police officers, he “most certainly will.”Mike’s got about 20 years on the job in Willow Springs.He was the ICOPs chapter president prior to his promotionto sergeant. Police Officer Jerry Jelinek is nowthe police officers’ chapter president.Deerfield good guys... continues from page 1that’s the kind of cops they are: team members – on theforce, in the union and in the community.As a Deerfield police officer, Steve says, “Your dayconsists of helping the community. We mostly deal withidentity theft, accidents, residential burglary and creditcard fraud. We’re community oriented for everything andalways try to help residents.”What did Steve learn from the January 1 incident? “Irealized how precious life is,” he said. “I have a littleboy at home and have learned how important it is to saygoodbye everyday to your family. You can‘t take anythingfor granted.”Andy learned just how much police need to be ready foranything. It didn’t hit him until later how much manpowerit took to save a life. “It’s a good feeling to assist in savingsomeone’s life,” he added, “and it was really nice to seethat we all knew what to do and did it.”Of the union, Steve and Andy say ICOPs has been goodfor Deerfield police officers and has improved communicationsin the department. “Better communication IS thekey to making things better,” Andy said.Steve participates in programs to support the SpecialOlympics, such as the Polar Plunge, and other fundraisingefforts including for breast cancer awareness. Steve creditsJuan Mazariegos, ICOPs Deerfield chapter presidentand others in the union with organizing the events andkeeping many Deerfield officers involved.Andy Kupsak grew up in the northwest suburbs. Hisfather, now retired, was chief of police in Lindenhurstand then Vernon Hills. Coming from a police family, hedidn’t always yearn to be a police officer but got seriousabout it after completing his studies at Knox College. In2003, he joined the Deerfield P.D., where he was on theroad two years, then detective two years, then with themetropolitan enforcement group three years, and nowon the 3-to-11 patrol shift.Steve Pettorelli grew up in Highland Park and earned a4-year degree from Western Illinois University with amajor in law enforcement and computer science plus aninternship with the Deerfield P.D. After graduating, hebecame a dispatcher and then in 2000 a police officer.Steve had long wanted to be a police officer from thetime he was in high school when he joined a PoliceExplorers group. He admired the uniforms then and isproud to wear a uniform himself today!There you go. Two fellow union members,two team players, two good cops!6 ICOPs | OCTOBER 2012

ICOPs Police BulletinICOPsPOLICEBULLETINpublished by .ICOPsILLINOISCOUNCILOFPOLICEFOID registration dangerously flawedThe state’s main way to track firearms owners has allowed peopleto get guns who should not be eligible to have them. That is one ofseveral disquieting conclusions in a report earlier this year by theIllinois Auditor General on the Illinois Firearm Owners IdentificationCard, or FOID card. “The safety of the general public as a whole is atrisk,” Auditor General William Holland told the Chicago Tribune.The Tribune reported on whether mentally ill residents have FOIDcards. The failure to track mentally ill residents is a problem of thestate courts as well as the Illinois State Police, which administers theFOID program. Only three of the state’s county circuit court clerksreport mental illness cases to the state police.Norm FreseT.R. SmithSam StrattonJuan MazariegosRichard BrunoPresidentVice-PresidentVice-PresidentSecretary-TreasurerStaff RepresentativeTo read more, please go to:“audits reports” at www.auditor.illinois.gov (04/2012)Legal StaffRichard F. BlassJohn Simpson IVRichard F. Blass & Associates, L.L.C.ICOPs770 N. Church Road • Suite HElmhurst, IL 601261.630.832.6772 telephone1.630.832.6978 fax1.800.832.7501— 24-hourtoll-free numberwww.icops.org — websiteicops@sbcglobal.net — emailCREDITS: Writer and editor, Kathy Devine,Local 34071, CWA;Printed by Sommers & FahrenbachDo you have stories orideas to share?• Is there a healthand safety issure youwant us to researchand keep youinformed about?• Do you know anICOPs member whomyou think fellow union membersshould know about?Email us at icops@sbcglobal.netor call ICOPs editor Kathy Devineat 773.583.6661 or 630.832.6772.ICOPs Legal PlanApplication__________________________________________________________________________Name (PLEASE PRINT)__________________________________________________________________________Home address__________________________________________________________________________City, state, zip code__________________________________________________________________________Email PERSONAL WORK____________________________________ _____________________________________Best telephone to reach youDate of birth____________________________________ ____________________________________Employed byYour title_____________________________________Signature$15 per monthBilled in 6 month intervals__________________________________DateMail completed form to ICOPs at770 N. Church Road, Suite H • Elmhurst, IL 60126Your membership package andauto decals will be mailed to you.FOR IMMEDIATE COVERAGEenclose a check for $90 payable to ICOPs.ILLINOIS COUNCIL OF POLICE1.800.832.7501 toll-free 24 hoursOCTOBER 2012 | ICOPs 7

ALLIED PRINTINGUNIONLABELCHICAGO, ILINSIDEICOPs POLICE BULLETIN • OCT. 2012Good guys: Deerfield... page 1and Winthrop Harbor... page 4ICOPs chapter update... page 2ICOPs President Norm Freseon politicians and pensions... page 3Kudos to ICOPs attorneys... page 4Vice-President Sam Strattonon handling PTSD... page 5Willow Springs Mike Giorgetti... page 6You’ll find more news @www.icops.orgICOPs770 N. Church Road • Suite HElmhurst, IL 60126®TRADES COUNCIL458ICOPs is here for you!24 hours a day7 days a weekTelephone ICOPs1.800.832.7501toll-freeStraight talk on police pensions• Public pensions are supposed to beprotected by the Illinois Constitution!Our State Constitution protects the pension benefits ofpublic employees in Illinois — denying state legislators,mayors, village managers and town councils from reducingpension benefits or increasing pension paymentsof current public employees.The writers of the Constitution knew what they weredoing. If you paid into a public pension plan, you wereconsidered to be in a contractual relationship “the benefitsof which may not be diminished or impaired.”Today, however, state legislators and officials are tryingevery trick in the book to violate the pension provisionof the Illinois Constitution. Why? Because...• Politicians created one huge pension mess!For decades, the Illinois General Assembly shorted theState’s contributions to the Pension Funds. It neitherapproved nor did it pay its share into the Pension Funds— and it created the nation’s largest pension debt!Police and other public employees, onthe other hand, have contributed to theirPension Funds from every paycheck.Now state legislators are trying to get away with puttingthe debt they created on the backs of public employees.• Contact your State Rep and Senator!Every day, in every community, residents rely on publicsafety personnel. It’s just plain wrong for lawmakers toeven think about balancing the state budget on our backs.We need to be heard on the pension issue. Talk to yourState Representative and State Senator. Ask them to keeptheir hands off police pensions.• VOTE NO ON NOVEMBER 6!On the November ballot in Illinois, a proposed change tothe state Constitution will make it easier for legislators togo after public pensions, one step at a time. Vote NO!You’ll find more on pensions inside and on our websiteat www.icops.org.