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LODGE 7 COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT
Awards Committee dedicated to highlighting the best of the best
n BY DAN CAMPANA
Whether saving a life, protecting a life or giving a couple dollars from their own pocket to help a citizen, police officers rarely break away from the natural modesty they possess.
“Just doing my job” is the go-to phrase when asked about a heroic or compassionate act carried out.
As much as officers might want to shy away from the at- tention, their stories of valor don’t go unnoticed. The Lodge 7 Awards Committee does its part to highlight the best of the best each month by focusing on the ways members are con- tributing to the city every day.
The 10-person committee, led by Chairman Jim Jakstavich and Co-Chair Dave DiSanti, are all officers themselves. So they carry the right perspective to assess the 20 to 30 nominations submitted each month.
“As a patrol officer, I’ve witnessed heroism, things we con- sider valor, some things that should be acknowledged,” said Jakstavich, the Lodge 7 Financial Secretary who spent 17 of his 21 years with CPD on patrol before becoming a detective. “Sometimes things go underappreciated by supervisors. We’re here at the FOP to acknowledge officers’ work; we see so much positive they do. We try to get the main players in these heroic events.”
That’s what makes the Lodge awards process different: peer-to-peer recognition. Any member can visit the FOP web- site to grab a nomination form to submit. Jakstavich, who pre- sides over the monthly ceremony, encourages nominations to have strong narratives that paint a picture of why an officer’s actions are award worthy.
And these are not one-size-fits-all awards. Life Saving and
Distinguished Service might be overarching categories, but what officers do to earn them certainly covers a wide range of things, some of which might fall under the radar — “the sim- plest things people don’t realize,” Jakstavich said.
He rattles off everything from an officer using LEMART training to save a person with a femoral artery stab wound to two officers who bought Christmas presents for children they encountered on a domestic call as an illustration of the im- portant contributions officers make by “just doing their job.”
“They’re very humble,” Jakstavich said.
Context also is key. The diversity of what each district sees on a daily basis plays a role in committee decisions. An officer taking several guns off the street in a less-violent neighbor- hood might be recognized differently than in an area where such seizures are a more regular occurrence.
No matter the exemplary action taken by the officer, each gets the opportunity to attend the ceremony in the “sanctuary of the FOP Hall” with family members. They step on stage to receive their plaque and congratulations from the board be- fore taking a photo with their proud parents and loved ones in front of the iconic fireplace.
“That’s a big deal,” Jakstavich said.
At a time when the “stain of one perceived negative” is bat- tling against all the good things Chicago coppers are doing, Jakstavich sees the Lodge awards as an important way to over- come an environment in which officers are underappreciated.
The message to members is simple: Everything you’re doing has meaning.
“It’s a phenomenal award,” Jakstavich emphasized. “It builds morale, which is constantly crumbling.”
32 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ SEPTEMBER 2020
No Good Deed Goes Unnoticed