North Cook News

The Village of Hanover Park recently swore in two new police officers and honored the city's emergency dispatchers.

During the April 6 Village Board meeting, officials welcomed the police department's two newest officers along with their families to be sworn into the Village department. Mayor Rodney Craig brought up Mario Mejia-Cardenas and Ashlie Swanson to administer their oaths and introduce them to the village. Mejia-Cardenas was hired in December and began his law enforcement academy training, with an expected graduation date of April 28. He has bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology, and he enjoys fishing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in his free time.

Swanson was also hired in December and will graduate from the academy at the end of April. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and enjoys animals, weightlifting and riding her motorcycle. Swanson’s family was in attendance to pin her badge. Chief Andrew Johnson welcomed both of the young officers to the force.

The Village also made a proclamation in honor of their emergency communicators, the dispatchers behind the City's responses to 911 calls made throughout the community. April 9-15 was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, and Craig commended DuComm, the dispatch center that handles calls from Hanover Park, for their stellar performance. He also met with representatives from the company.

"I personally want to thank you and your peers at DuComm for your good work," the mayor said in the meeting. "Please pass along my sincere appreciation for all the support for the people that call 911 and are in distress. You have an excellent way of coaching and getting people through and our police and fire respond respectfully. And I think they're all here tonight just for you."

Representatives from DuComm and members of the Hanover Park Police and Fire departments were in attendance for the swearing in, and they stayed for the recognition of their dispatchers.

The Village also heard a resident speak about their efforts to provide for police officers who have been injured or killed in the line of duty, including raising funds for surviving family members left behind after accidents. Additionally, the board heard some concerns about the new license plate reader cameras approved for the village. The board reassured residents that the cameras are not for surveillance and are only meant to be used as support for officers investigating crimes in the area.