Palos Park Police Commander John Sawyer drove to the Palos Park Police Department “trailers” more than three decades ago for the first time, ready for duty. In May 2021, Commander Sawyer will take his final ride home from the station. While a Sergeant with Palos Park, he earned his Master’s Degree from Lewis University. John worked extensively with the Palos Park Cadet program and remains friends with many of them, who now have careers in policing all over the country. In the late 1990s he was assigned to PPPD detective bureau and served as liaison with Carl Sandburg High School.  

Commander John Sawyer, who has supervised officers for more than 20 years, exemplifies the importance of an officer knowing & understanding they're going to show up on someone's darkest day and work to bring calm to chaos. Palos Park officers concur, that although he is a supervisor, no task was too small for him.

Many Palos Park PD alumni shared the same sentiment, It was truly an honor to have been molded and trained by such an outstanding person! Mayor John Mahoney said, “On behalf of the Village Council, residents and staff we want to thank Commander Sawyer for his decades of dedication, service and leadership to Palos Park. We wish John and his family all the best in his well deserved retirement."

Police Commissioner Dan Polk noted, “John Sawyer has been a big asset to our department. His knowledge, integrity, patience, personality, dedication and ethics has taught us all, and has been passed on through our department.”

Joe Miller, who has worked with Sawyer many years commented that Sawyer’s retirement is not only a loss to the department, but to the police profession as a whole. Chief Miller said, “To see someone who has dedicated so much of their life to this job and use his experience and knowledge in helping people throughout his career, makes me sad to see that go. It is truly the end of an era. John is a great officer, a great person, and a great mentor.”

Chief Joe Miller summed up John Sawyer this way, "He is a class act. He is everything that you would want in a police officer and a supervisor. Every person that has worked with John in the past or now works with John, looks up to him and thanks him for everything that he has done for them and the profession."

Palos Park Police Department is looking to raise awareness of the unfortunate fact that there are those who seek to steal from the grieving. We know that scammers will often read obituaries to learn information about deceased individuals. They will then seek out avenues to contact the deceased's family members to claim the deceased has outstanding debt. Often they are trying to capitalize on the fact that family/loved ones are in a vulnerable state during this time and are more likely to pay fraudulent debts and costs. Scammers reach out to them, are overly kind or sympathetic, while utilizing emotion, fear or urgency while gaining trust to make the victim inclined to act.

The scammer may pose as a creditor regarding a debt of the deceased and then work to get money from the grieving family member. Victim’s are already overcome with emotion and may be tempted to pay off the individual and settle the matter once and for all. Most of us while in a state of grief, may act quickly and not think through situations. Please keep in mind that legitimate companies do not operate by intimidating or threatening you. Should someone call you unsolicited, stating there is a problem with the account, hang up! Scammers will stop at nothing to steal from you, and they will use your vulnerability to their advantage.

The pain of loss can be overwhelming, but there are healthy ways to cope. Pathlights, formerly known as PLOWS Council on Aging, if offering a new six-week virtual support group that starts June 11 and runs through July 16. The group helps each other through shared experience and provides education and healing in a supportive environment. This group is free and open to everyone in the community. Learn more and register by calling our Caregiver expert Catherin at (708) 274-0052 or email her at cstowers@pathlights.org.

For more information about our free events and classes visit www.pathlights.org and follow us on https://www.facebook.com/pathlightsil/.

For a full listing of all Palos Park Businesses, visit our website.