North Cook News

The village of Bartlett celebrates its first responders, both present and past. Officials from Bartlett made three special proclamations pertaining to the members of their village police department at their May 2nd village board meeting. 

They first celebrated the retirement of two of the village's police officers, Eric Roger and Chris Solesky. 

Roger was sworn in as a member of the Bartlett Police Department on May 4, 1999, giving him a full 24-year career in the community. During this time, he “served in many roles at the police department, including patrol officer, directed patrol team officer, traffic unit investigations, field training officer, juvenile officer, and truck enforcement officer,” village President Kevin Wallace said. He credited Roger for improving the department’s safety and abilities regarding transportation and traffic accidents. Roger has a long list of accomplishments from his career, including a 2006 Police Officer of the Year Award, 2007 Cook County Sheriff's Merit Award, a life-saving award, and five Employee of the Month Awards. 

"The members of the Bartlett Police Department play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens of Bartlett," Trustee Renee Suwanski said. 

Solesky joined the department on January 12, 1998, and served as a patrol officer, detective, and supervisor in his 25 years of service to the community. Wallace credited him with improving the quality of officers. For “18 years of his career, Christopher served as a field training officer, during which time he played a critical role in training and mentoring of probationary officers, which directly affected the overall professionalism and effectiveness of officers serving the village.” Solesky also boasts a long list of accomplishments, including a 2009 and 2019 Police Officer of the Year, a Medal of Valor, a Cook County Sheriff's Merit Award, three Life-Saving Awards, and ten Employee of the Month awards. 

The board proclaimed May 14-20 Police Officer Week, as May 15 is National Peace Officers Day. Trustee Renée Suwanski read the proclamation, which thanked local law enforcement officers for their willingness “to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, by protecting them against violence and disorder, and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression or intimidation.”