Naperville Cop Wins New Award, Works With Mentally Ill

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville Police Officer Kevin Fasana was awarded the inaugural Edward-Elmhurst Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award Tuesday for his work in the Crisis Intervention Team.

Fasana's 14 years of service in the department were acknowledged, and the award was for his work identifying and executing the need for the Naperville Police Department to take a step back and see how they deal with citizens with mental illness.

"The old practices were not working, so an effort to reignite the department's Crisis Intervention Team began with Kevin leading the charge," said the Naperville police sergeant who nominated him.

The CIT focuses on developing relationships with those who have mental illness and connecting them with resources, making them more likely to be a bigger part of the community.

As a part of Kevin's "passionate work to help others," he has been speaking to groups and training fellow officers about mental illness about how to work with those who have it. "Kevin is the perfect candidate for this award.

Article image via Naperville Police Department