Deerfield Police Officers Honored With Awards For Outstanding Service

DEERFIELD, IL — On a day three new police officers were sworn in, two veteran members of the department were honored at Tuesday night's Deerfield Village Board meeting as recipients of the annual Donald E. Gehrig Award for 2021 and 2022.

Sergeant Steve Pettorelli and Officer Lauren Maldonado were chosen for the two awards. The awards were to be presented to the pair over the last two years, but the presentations were delayed due to COVID-19, according to Deerfield Police Chief John Sliozis.

Recipients of the award are decided by the Deerfield Police Commission. Gehrig served on the board of commissioners through 1972. According to officials, Gehrig's "interest and concern for this Department were well known to all who worked with him."

Sliozis said recipients of the award can be recognized for one outstanding act or continued outstanding performance throughout the year.

"Included in the final selection are loyalty and dedication to the objectives of the Deerfield Police Department," Sliozis said. "I think you'll see that clearly in both of these candidates."

Pettorelli, who has been with the Deerfield Police Department for the past 25 years, was the recipient of the award for 2021. He became a full-time dispatcher in 1999 before transitioning to becoming a police officer the following year. Pettorelli also recently took on the role of director of communications and is affectionally known as the department's "radio geek," according to Sliozis.

For the award, Pettorelli was chosen for his research, development and leadership that led to the department's "successful" transition to the Starcom Radio Network, or Starcom 21.

"Pettorelli spearheaded the project, worked tirelessly to ensure efficient and effective implementation, including feedback to achieve optimal results, holding the vendor accountable for improvements and creating and implementing ongoing training to ensure its overall success," said Sliozis, who said the public safety communication system helped modernize the department.

Sliozis also credited Pettorelli for helping with department initiatives, video productions, police recruitment and the implementation of the department's drone program.

"I do like the technical side of things when it comes to communications, so it's a nice fit for me starting out as the director right now, and I've got a great group of dispatchers with me," Pettorelli said.

Maldonado, who has been with the department since 2017, was the recipient of the award for 2022. According to Sliozis, she grew up on the North Shore and graduated from Regina Dominican in Wilmette. Following high school, she played college basketball at Bucknell University and started her career as a teacher. Maldonado currently serves as a school resource officer for Deerfield School District 109, a role she was the first ever for the district.

"Those experiences have paid great dividends for us and the school district," Sliozis said. "She has used her past experience, knowledge, and training as a patrol officer and teacher to formulate the position."

In their notes, the police commission lauded Maldonado "for her ability to always represent the Deerfield Police Department in a positive light whether in her role as a patrol officer, school resource officer or bike officer."

Sliozis added that Maldonado was instrumental in making the department's Pink Patch Project, which benefits breast cancer patients, a "success" by serving as the primary contact with the Cancer Wellness Center. She is also active with a number of other volunteer groups and activities within the department.

"It's very motivating to continue into the new year receiving this award and having a lot of fresh new ideas to connect the community with our police department," Maldonado said. "It's a joy to be in the schools, have that connection with that department and to be able to connect our families to have a better view of the police overall."