10-28-2021 3:01am

Striving to make Village of Roscoe a place of peace and safety

Sergeant Tom Farone (L) and Officer Ryan Kelly go over some reports of previous night's activities at the Roscoe Police Department.

Today, Oct. 28, 2021 is National First Responders Day, honoring police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, 911 dispatchers, paramedics, and all those who are first on the scene in stressful situations.

What’s a typical day at the Roscoe Police Department? Not the drama and police chases, burglaries, shoot-outs and other acts of violence associated with the profession. At least, not very often.

“There is a perception of law enforcement that it is like what people see in movies and TV.”

Sgt. Tom Farone said. “What it really entails is community service.”

He describes activities that usually take place on a day-to-day basis in the Village of Roscoe:

“Each shift starts with an informal roll-call and relaying information to the incoming shift. Problems and follow-up are discussed.”

Two patrol officers and one sergeant cover the night shift. One patrolman, one sergeant, a detective and either Deputy Chief Sam Hawley or Chief Jamie Evans, one sergeant and the Village’s code enforcer are on during the day.

The day shift begins at 6:00 A.M. Shift supervisors prioritize calls for service, confer with Deputy Chief Sam Hawley and/or Chief Jamie Evans, make sure certifications are up to date, and conduct monthly CPR training and shooting range requirements every two or three months.

The patrol officers are out and about in the Village directing traffic, controlling speeding in specific areas and doing reports.

During both shifts, units respond to any type of domestic disturbances, car accidents, and/or burglaries in progress.

“We are never idle,” he said. “There is always a lot of required training to complete.”

“We are very proactive in patrolling neighborhoods and businesses and conducting vacation checks.

“Every part of Roscoe is checked every night.”

Farone said he hasn’t noticed a big up-tick in property crimes or damage to property in the past year.

“We are seeing more drugs over the last year or two. Fentanyl seems to be a little more prevalent.”

“There has been an increased use of Narcan associated with opiates. We have been trained for the use of Narcan and we all carry it.”

The Winnebago County Health Department provides Narcan training free of charge to anyone who wants to learn how to use it. Narcan is a nonaddictive drug that, when given in time, can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and save a life.

At this time, there are 13 full time officers and one part-time officer on the Roscoe’s police force, plus a part-time code enforcer. Edgar Altamerano is the newest officer to be hired. Altamerano was already certified,
coming from the Rockford Park District Police Department. The Roscoe Police Department hopes to hire at least one more officer in the near future.

Farone agreed that police departments around the country have been inundated with negative responses. “We always need to keep our guard up, but the Roscoe community is very supportive.”

Farone is originally from Apple Valley, MN. He and his wife, Andrea and their two children enjoy living in the Roscoe area.

“This is the job I really like, and the job I want to continue to do.”

“Being a police officer is really about keeping the peace. That’s what we’re all about.“

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