Sarat Named Buffalo Grove 'Police Officer Of The Year'

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Officer Eric Sarat was honored as the "Buffalo Grove Police Officer of the Year 2021" and Investigator Jaime Verduzco was awarded a Special Commendation at the March 7 Village Board meeting.

Sarat was recognized for his enthusiasm for his work, contributions to the Major Crash Assistance Team and his willingness to train fellow officers on new technology, according to a news release. Verduzco was honored for his significant contributions to both the Buffalo Grove Police Department and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

“I am incredibly proud of these officers - their passion for their work is evident in their actions,” Police Chief Steven Casstevens said. “They are both incredibly deserving of this recognition.”

Sarat was sworn in as a Buffalo Grove Police Officer in March 2018 and recently became a member of MCAT. His peers recognize him for consistently giving his all with a great passion for his daily work, especially traffic enforcement. According to his peers, Sarat "sets high goals for himself, wanting to be the top traffic law enforcer for the department." They also said, "he is eager to take on and investigate traffic crashes, which helped him earn his position with MCAT. Officer Sarat’s enthusiasm and work ethic are recognized and highly valued by his peers and supervisors."

It was noted that Sarat helped the Buffalo Grove Police Department "rise to many challenges" in 2021.

"One such obstacle was the need to train officers in new workstation technology. Officer Sarat volunteered to familiarize himself with the new technology and train his peers, ensuring officers could confidently use the new technology while keeping themselves and the community safe," the news release continued.

Additionally, Verduzco, who has been a Buffalo Grove Police Officer since 2006, was awarded with a Special Commendation for Runner-Up to Officer of the Year. Verduzco has "successfully carried the caseload of the LCMCTF as well as multiple Buffalo Grove cases."

During the fourth quarter of 2021, Investigator Verduzco assisted LCMCTF with several cases throughout Lake County.

According to the release, Verduzco experienced a total of nine activations or callouts for various homicides, including an officer involved shooting, and was instrumental in responding to the agencies where those incidents occurred.

"While balancing his time with the task force, Investigator Verduzco, a veteran in his unit, stepped in to assist and advise his new colleagues as they learned the roles and responsibilities of an investigator," according to the news release. "In addition, Investigator Verduzco’s Spanish translation skills have been an invaluable asset to the Investigations Unit, Patrol Unit and the LCMCTF."