Elderly Service Officer of the Year nominations sought

[May 15, 2013]  CARBONDALE -- The 10th annual award for Elderly Service Officer of the Year will be presented by Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office at the 17th annual Illinois TRIAD Conference Sept. 12-13 in East Peoria. Law enforcement agencies, local elder abuse provider agencies, long-term care regional ombudsman programs and Area Agencies on Aging, which work with the most vulnerable older people, are invited to nominate an ESO from their area.

The Elderly Service Officer of the Year Award is designed to recognize the dedication of these officers throughout Illinois in serving and protecting older citizens. The attorney general's office funds the 40-hour ESO training program through which hundreds of law enforcement officers have been certified as ESOs.

The attorney general hopes that by highlighting the creative and committed work of these officers throughout the state, more departments and officers will see the value of, and need for, officers dedicated to working on behalf of senior citizens.

If you know an ESO who goes above and beyond in investigating and preventing crimes against seniors, consider nominating that officer for the ESO of the Year Award.

Click here for the nomination form (PDF). The deadline to submit a nomination is July 15. For the information in this article plus the nomination form, click here. (PDF)

Part of the nomination procedure is to submit a summary explaining why the nominator feels that the officer has made an exceptional contribution in his or her role as an ESO. In the essay, be sure to describe any instances in which the officer has rendered outstanding service, has used a creative way to better protect a senior and any examples of how the officer thoroughly investigated a difficult case of elder crime. At right are some questions for guidance.

• How does the officer demonstrate inventiveness and sensitivity when developing a program or training for seniors?

• Is the officer motivated and persistent when dealing with issues in the community? How is the officer dedicated to protecting the older community?

• How does the officer demonstrate leadership and commitment to the older community?

• How has the officer shown persistence in an investigation or use of law enforcement when a crime has been committed against a senior?

[Text from file received from the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan]