In the past six months, a new regular face has appeared at the monthly Hodgkins-McCook Aging Well meetings, held in the Larry Rice Room in the basement of the village hall. Mike Cimino, Lieutenant of Patrol at the Hodgkins Police Department, has become an honorary member of the group, speaking frequently to the elders on a variety of topics such as personal safety, technology security, and frauds and scams to avoid. He also works to pre-emptively curtail elder abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly. Friendly and affable, Lt. Cimino is quite approachable and ready to provide assistance to all who need it.
A twenty-five-year veteran of the department, Lt. Cimino came to Hodgkins in the 1990s from Justice, along with two other officers. He has served in a variety of roles in the department, in both patrol and in the Juvenile Division. For thirteen years, Mike was the Hodgkins D.A.R.E. Officer, and he currently heads the Juvenile Division for the department, with a strong emphasis on community policing. He brings all of this experience to his talks with the Aging Well group.
Lt. Cimino is now administering the Freedom Alerts program, with the ready assistance of Lt. Jeff Keilman. Freedom Alerts are personal pendants which house a button elders can press to alert first responders that they need help. He also oversees the Knox Box program, which makes sturdy steel boxes available to people who need to place a key on the front of their houses for first responders to enter their homes in case of emergencies. If you have any questions about either of these programs, Lt. Cimino is the one to talk with.
Be sure to say hello to Lt. Cimino when you see him around town!