Letter to the Editor: Crystal Lake Police Chief David Linder

Letter to the Editor:

A Hero in our Midst

"I'm writing of a public servant who has been dedicated to Crystal Lake for 32 years -- Police Chief David Linder. What follows are examples of his commitment to our community. 

In September 2010, a dangerous crosswalk existed at Hannah Beardsley Middle School. Chief Linder was an active participant in a solution. Once aware of the situation and residents’ concerns, he quickly but thoroughly analyzed alternatives and subsequently enacted appropriate precautions. Pedestrians soon benefited from a crossing guard and a safety campaign aimed at raising awareness of the crossing and a new state law requiring that motorists stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.   

Leveraging the relationship built from this effort, Chief Linder partnered with community members to realize further positive change in the community. 

After hearing of incidents in local high schools, I approached Dave about bringing a program called Rachel’s Challenge to Crystal Lake.  He quickly scheduled a meeting for school social workers and his Student Resource Officers to meet with him and our group of concerned citizens to study RC, already successfully implemented at Cary Grove HS. 

Supporters backed RC because of the alarming number of violent incidents in schools across the country. This kickoff led to RC’s positive influence reaching 3000 students in our middle schools this past October.

Through these brief synopses, Chief Linder has admirably demonstrated collaborative effort between police and community, increasing safety, promoting positive change, and extending himself beyond his job description to help the citizens of this community take part in the greater good for our children.

Sometimes and for various reasons, high standing officials are reluctant to do the right thing for the community, to go that extra mile…but not Chief Linder.  He is truly a hidden hero to all of our children."

Andrea Tuszynski