In The News






		Bad boys turn good as officers, Santa visit kids in local hospitals Mayor McCheeks and the kids Cops use CPR to save man: Naperville police officer helps save man's life

		Saturday, December 23, 2000 Daily Herald, Naperville/Lisle Area Bad boys turn good as officers, Santa visit kids in local hospitals By Ann Piccininni, Daily Herald Staff Writer Sometimes, Santa takes the unconventional route. On Friday, for instance, he had a police escort when he arrived at several area hospitals with bags full of toys for good girls and boys. Instead of a sleigh, he made his rounds on board a bus. And in lieu of Rudolph, he was guided by Dakota, a retired sheriff's police dog. It was all part of a special mission launched by the DuPage Police Association, a fraternal organization with 850 members from police departments throughout DuPage County. For the past 20 years, as Christomas nears, members of the group help Santa deliver toys to kids who won't be home Christomas Eve to wait for the Jolly Old Elf's arrival. "We go to the emergency rooms and the pediatric wards," Naperville Police Sgt. David Hoffman said. Hoffman said officers from Naperville, Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, Hinsdale, Oak Brook and the DuPage County Sheriff's office got on a bus early Friday morning donated for the event by McDonald's Corporation. Accompanied by Santa, who looked remarkably like Naperville Mayor George Pradel, Ronald McDonald and Pikachu, they et off for Edward Hospital in Naperville, Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield and Elmhurst Hospital. A lunch at McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook would be followed by a visit to Hinsdale Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. Denny Guzlas, a retired corporal with the DuPage County Sheriff's Department, guided Dakota the canine through her rounds. "She's usually, by far, the biggest hit." He said. Children and hospital staff greeted the German shepherd with lots of holiday cheer, Guzlas reported. Santa, Ronald McDonald and Pikachu also got enthusiastic welcomes as police officers helped Santa hand out games, toys and stuffed animals. "We try to bring enough to satisfy any age group," Guzlas said. And for this one day, at least, they succeeded.

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		Friday, December 29, 2000 Naperville Sun, Government Watch Section Mayor McCheeks and the kids What do Ronald McDonald, Pokemon's Pikachu and Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel have in common? Kids love 'em. This was quite evident Dec. 22 during the DuPage County Police Association's annual tour of county hospitals, when Ronald McDonald, Pikachu and Pradel (dressed up as Santa Claus) visited with sick children, making spirits bright while delivering age-appropriate gifts. Pradel - who estimates he dons the Santa togs roughly 40 times a year and has gone through four Santa suits in the last 20 years of playing the role - explains why it suits him so well. "I look like a Santa," Pradel said. "I have round cheeks. I'm heavyset. I have that sparkle in my eye, and I think I've got a charisma with kids. They know I genuinely care for them." -- B.S. (Brendan Sinclair - Naperville Sun Police Reporter)

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Wednesday, August 1, 2001
Daily Herald - DuPage County in 60 seconds

Cops use CPR to save man:

A police officer from Naperville and another from Oak Brook recently worked as a team
to revive a man in cardiac arrest while attending a conference in St. Louis. Naperville Lt.
John J. Gustin, Oak Brook Det. Sgt. Steven Larson and Lt. Michael Rogers of New
Jersey performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation for roughly eight minutes until paramedics
arrived to transport Edward DeAngelo, 69, of Pittsfield, Mass., to the hospital. DeAngelo
was attending another conference at the time. He remains in intensive care but is expected
to recover.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2001
Naperville Sun

Naperville police officer helps save mans life

A Naperville police officer is credited with helping to save the life of an elderly man while
at a conference last week in St. Louis, according to a Naperville Police Department release.
Lt. John Gustin, who is the commander of the Naperville Police Department's Planning,
Training, and Research section, was attending a law enforcement conference when he and
two other officers were asked to help an elderly man who had fallen and was unconscious.
Gustin and the others learned the man's heart had stopped, and with Detective Sgt.
Steven Larson of the Oak Brook Police Department and Lt. Michael Rogers of the
West Orange, N.J., Police Department, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until an
ambulance arrived about eight minutes later. The victim, Edward DeAngelo, 69, of
Massachusetts, was taken to the St. Louis Medical Center, where he remains in the
intensive care unit. He was attending another conference at the same hotel.

Webmaster's note - Regretably, word was received early Wednesday morning, August
1, 2001 that Mr. DeAngelo had unexpectedly died from complications during the night.

Both Naperville Police Lt. John Gustin and Oak Brook Police Sgt. Steven Larson are
members of the DuPage County Police Association.


	Copyright © 2001 DuPage County Police Association All Rights Reserved