Longtime Police Employee Retires After Decades Of Service

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Beth Martin has done a little bit of everything for the Buffalo Grove Police Department. Her career, which spans over five decades, came to an end Friday, May 1. According to her colleagues, her absence will be felt throughout the department.

"Beth’s absence leaves a gap in our agency that will be challenging to fill," Police Chief Steven Casstevens said. “We wish nothing but the best for such a committed employee who continually fought to find better ways to do difficult jobs. She will be missed.”

According to the Buffalo Grove Police Department, Martin began her career in November of 1984 as a part-time desk officer where she was responsible for answering non-emergency calls, walk-in questions or reports, and assisting officers as needed. From there, she moved on to become a general service officer, or what is now called a community service officer. She was tasked with implementing a new evidence room, which included the processing and storage of evidence for accuracy and easy retrieval.

She then began to work part-time as the department’s evidence custodian in 2001 and served in that capacity until she was given full-time status in 2016, when she also became the agency’s traffic compliance administrator.

Martin’s responsibilities within the department have stretched far and wide and she has served in an integral for both evidence, and the administrative adjudication process.

Fundraising efforts for Special Olympics have also been part of Martin’s contributions over the years. She has attended dozens of events as a volunteer and coordinator for the department. In addition to collecting donations, she also sought out participants to ensure events were a great success.

Martin has received numerous awards throughout her career which include Employee of the Quarter in 1990 and 1992, Unit Citations in 1998, and twice in 2002, as well as an Honorable Mention in 1997.

Martin was lauded by the department for "her charisma, involvement, and willingness to go above and beyond have been second to none."