October 2

JOLIET – The Crest Hill Police Association/Metropolitan Alliance of Police Chapter 15 recently presented Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow with a $1,500 check to benefit the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center.

The Crest Hill Police Association this year selected the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as the beneficiary of the proceeds from its Third Annual Golf Outing held Sept. 26. Crest Hill Police Association Treasurer, Officer Ryan Dobcyzk, presented the check on Monday to State’s Attorney Glasgow, who created the center in 1995 to improve the way allegations of child sexual abuse are investigated.

Crest Hill Police Association President Doug Hicks, Vice President Joe Locasto and Dobczyk wrote the following in a letter to State’s Attorney Glasgow: “We appreciate all the organization has done, and know this donation will help the continued assistance of families in Will County. We thank you for your continued work as our State’s Attorney and with the Advocacy Center.”

The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center is a 501-c-3 non-profit organization. Its professionally trained staff interviews children who are the victims of sexual or severe physical abuse in a non-threatening, non-suggestive environment. The children’s recorded statements have been used in the successful prosecution of literally hundreds of sexual predators and child abusers over the past 17 years. Last year, the center’s staff interviewed 321 children.

“Thank you to the Crest Hill Police Association for choosing the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as the beneficiary of its golf outing this year,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “I would also like to thank all the participating golfers and sponsors who came to play this year. This funding along with the critical support from our police officers will enable the Center to continue its mission of protecting our children.”

For information about the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, call (815) 774-4565.

September 26

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces he is partnering with Washington Township officials including Township Supervisor and Will County Board Member Robert Howard to open a satellite office where residents who live in Eastern Will County can discuss criminal complaints and other county-related issues with an assistant state’s attorney.

An informational session regarding the opening of the satellite office is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday Oct. 1 at the Washington Township Offices, 30200 Town Center Road in Beecher.  During that informational session, State’s Attorney Glasgow will be available to explain the types of questions and issues his attorney will field at the office. These will include:

• Walk-in complaints from citizens after a police agency has declined to forward their allegations to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office for charging. Citizens should have a copy of their police report available;
• Discussions regarding services provided through the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, including filing bad check restitution claims; child support enforcement; the availability of victim witness services; information about drug court, mental health court or veterans court; and scheduling crime prevention presentations;
• Information about or referrals for services available through other county or state agencies;
• And consultations with officers from local police departments regarding criminal cases. 

State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Criminal Division Chief, Kathy Patton, who lives in Eastern Will County, also will attend the Oct. 1 informational session. Patton will staff the satellite office, which will be open on the first Monday of each month from 9 a.m. until noon. No appointments are necessary; visitors will be received on a first-come, first-served basis.

Supervisor Howard and other Washington Township officials also will attend the informational session.

“Bob Howard has been working with my office for several months to prepare the opening of a satellite office that will serve citizens who live in Eastern Will County,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “The goal is to make our services as accessible as possible to citizens who do not live near the county seat. With the opening of this office, anyone from Eastern Will County who wants to discuss criminal complaints or other county-related matters will no longer have to drive to Joliet to speak face-to-face with a prosecutor.”

For information about the satellite office, contact the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office at (815) 727-8789 or Washington Township at (708) 946-2026.

September 19

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced today that a Joliet man was sentenced to 87 years in prison for sexually assaulting the 6-year-old daughter of his girlfriend in October of 2008.

A jury deliberated in March for less than four hours before convicting Jesse R. Perez, 32, of 412 Oneida St., of two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault. Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes sentenced Perez on Wednesday.

Perez was supposed to take the girl to a relative’s house, but he took her instead to his apartment where he sexually assaulted her.  Judge Policandriotes noted the relationship between the defendant and the victim as well as the injuries the girl suffered when she handed down the strong sentence.

“Jesse Perez is a deviant pedophile who will spend the rest of his life in prison for stealing the innocence of a little girl and inflicting tremedous physical and emotional harm on her,” said State’s Attorney Glasgow. “This is the kind of violation that must be prosecuted aggressively and punished harshly. Judge Policandriotes sent a strong message through this sentence that such a crime against children will never be tolerated.”  

Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorney’s Mark Fleszewski and Katie Tinich for their expert trial work that secured this important conviction and sentence.

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow was pleased this week to present a medal of service to Jackson, the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center’s first therapy dog, on behalf of the Stone City Kennel Club.

State’s Attorney Glasgow presented the medal to Jackson and his owner Cheri Johnson during a ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at Lincoln-Way Central High School. The Stone City Kennel Club hosted the ceremony, “For Those Who Serve,” to recognize 14 dogs that assist the Will County community in various capacities. Therapy dogs, leader dogs, search and rescue dogs and assistance dogs for those with medical needs were among the canines honored Tuesday.

State’s Attorney Glasgow gladly placed the service medal around Jackson’s neck during the ceremony in recognition of his work comforting children at the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center. Johnson, who is the State’s Attorney’s administrative assistant, has been bringing Jackson to the center since early this year as part of the State’s Attorney’s new Paws 4 Kids pet therapy program.

Children come to the Center for victim senstive interviews when there are allegations of sexual abuse or extreme physical abuse. These interviews are conducted by trained and caring professionals and recorded in a neutral, non-suggestive, child-friendly environment. Glasgow established the Center in 1995 to improve the way these highly sensitive investigations are conducted. The interviews have been used to successfully prosecute literally hundreds of predators over the past 17 years.

Jackson is a 3-year-old, 63-pound Labrador Retriever that is licensed through Therapy Dog International. He welcomes children upon their arrival at the Children’s Advocacy Center, and he keeps them company while preparations are made for the interview. Jackson is not present when children are interviewed, but he stays to play with siblings and parents or caregivers while they wait for an interview to conclude. Jackson is also there to comfort children after interviews.

“I was thrilled to present this service award to both Jackson and Cheri for their compassionate work on behalf of vulnerable children who are struggling through the most traumatic time in their lives,” Glasgow said. “Jackson is a kind friend who comforts young victims and their families and helps us to obtain the truthful statements we need to put dangerous child predators behind bars.” 

Johnson and her husband, Kurt Johnson, raise and train puppies for the Leader Dogs for the Blind organization. Jackson is their personal pet; he spent a great deal of time bringing joy and comfort to patients in local hospitals and nursing homes before beginning his work with the Children’s Advocacy Center.

Johnson makes Jackson available at no cost to taxpayers for all the petting, playing and hugging a child can squeeze in before and after a victim-senstive interview. Studies have shown that dogs and other pets can put people at ease during emotionally stressful situations.

Glasgow launched Paws 4 Kids because he knows first-hand about the happiness dogs bring to people’s lives. He and his family are the happy owners of Hobbs, a Great Dane the State’s Attorney named after Roy Hobbs in the movie, “The Natural.”

“PAWS 4 Kids celebrates the life-affirming bond between people and their pets,” he said. “Jackson’s presence at the Children’s Advocacy Center is the first step in the healing process for the victims of child abuse.” 

The Stone City Kennel Club ceremony included a short video presentation called “Hero Dogs of 9/11.” It chronicled the impressive work performed by more than 300 service dogs on September 11, 2001 at Ground Zero. The President of the Stone City Kennel Club, Len Lundh, said that the club chose this important day to honor our community’s heroic canine companions and their handlers as well.

September 11

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow is partnering with the Collins Street Neighborhood Council/Unity Community Development Corporation and the Spanish Community Center to establish an after-school program to provide children a safe haven from street gangs and drug dealers.

The Collins Street Neighborhood Council is currently accepting registrations for the after-school program. For information or to register, please call Collins Street Neighborhood Council President Amy Sanchez at (815) 483-4958 or visit online at www.unitycdc.org.

State’s Attorney Glasgow recently presented CSNC President Sanchez with a check for $2,400 to fund the first four months of the pilot program, which will be hosted by the Spanish Community Center on Joliet’s East Side. The State’s Attorney used money forfeited to the state by convicted criminals who were engaged in drug dealing to fund this pilot program. The program is not funded by taxpayers.

Glasgow met personally with Sanchez and other CSNC board members earlier this spring to discuss an after-school program to serve youths who are at risk of becoming involved in street gangs and drug dealing. The State’s Attorney was particularly concerned by Sanchez’s description of one at-risk youth who is being raised by his grandmother. This young man is resisting harassment and recruitment efforts by local street gangs during unsupervised free time after school while his grandmother is working.  

“We know firsthand because of the work we perform in cooperation with our local police that many youths experience these kinds of pressures along the Collins Street corridor and in many other neighborhoods,” Glasgow said. “It is critical that we work together with grassroots organizations like the Collins Street Neighborhood Council and the Spanish Community Center to protect the children in our neighborhoods and provide them with positive recreational and educational alternatives.” 

The after-school pilot program will give young people living along the Collins Street corridor a chance to engage in sports, sound art technology, drama and dance under the supervision of caring adults. One of the innovative activities will allow students to record songs or poems with professional recording equipment. Glasgow and Sanchez both believe these activities will 
help participants develop self-esteem, resolve conflicts and establish important life goals. 

The program will be offered to up to 45 youths. The Spanish Community Center, located at 309 N. Eastern Ave., will develop programming under the direction of CSNC and will provide classrooms and recreational space.

The Collins Street Neighborhood Council was established in 2009. The organization places strong emphasis on preserving family values and developing a cooperative spirit between public and private sectors. One of the aims of the council is to develop positive recreational activities in the neighborhood and improve the delivery of existing services to under-served populations.The Spanish Community Center was founded in 1967 with a mission to provide social services to the city’s growing population of Spanish-speaking citizens. The center has a proven track record over the past four decades of providing diverse services and welcomes all community members regardless of race or ethnic origin.