Kudos for serving local community
A longtime volunteer in the local war on crime has received a major award.
When the FBI shows up, it's usually a bad sign.
But it turned out to be good news for Champaign resident John Hecker. president of the Champaign County Crimestoppers organization. Hecker learned last week that he is a recipient of the Director's Community Leadership Award for his service to the community.
Each year, the FBI selects one person from each of its 56 field offices for the honor. Hecker will receive his award from FBI Director Robert Mueller at the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C., in March 2010.
Needless to say, Hecker is a very worthy recipient. As president of Stipes Publishing in Champaign, Hecker has served as president of Crimestoppers since it was founded in 1986. Offering rewards for information, the organization has played a big role in helping to solve more than 1,500 criminal cases.
Hecker was characteristically modest about receiving the honor, stating that he was "taken aback in a wonderful way" to be recognized, but pointing out that many individuals have helped to make Crimestoppers a benefit to the community.
True enough, but not everyone has participated in such a major way from day one. That's service above and beyond the call of duty, and it's the reason Hecker was chosen for such a prestigious award.
Comments
John Hecker has done a fine job keeping our local CrimeStoppers around, however the organization is stagnant.
Champaign Co. CrimeStoppers could be a real factor in crime solving in Champaign County if it gave out more than the occasional $50, $100 or maybe $200 reward. Some time back, in one six-month period, the local CS only gave away one or two awards. C'mon!
For example, Peoria CrimeStoppers gets tons of calls and that's because they pay good money for information on crimes. They give $100 rewards to solve serious *misdemeanors* and big money for felonies. Peoria CrimeStoppers gives a lot of money away, but solves a boat load of crimes and the calls keep coming, leaving police investigators free to work still more crimes.
I'm afraid our local CrimeStoppers is a lot more like the Maytag repairman's phone line and a lot less dynamic and exciting as it could be under a fresh infusion of leadership.
Kudos to John Hecker, but let's help our local CrimeStoppers make a difference, and not be cheap dispensing $$ for information useful in solving crimes and locking away people who can't behave themselves in society.
-- Joe
Posted by JoeSixpack on November 2, 2009 at 10:33 AM Suggest Removal
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