Kids rewarded ‘for being safe'
West Dundee officers pass out gifts during seat belt check thanks to men's generosity
For those who saw cops staked out in the area near West Dundee's LA Fitness Wednesday morning, no need to be alarmed.
It wasn't an emergency situation to which they were responding. Instead, officers donning Santa hats were conducting an impromptu seat belt check and passing out gifts to children who were properly buckled in.
The endeavor was made possible by the kindness of West Dundee resident Patrick Mullen and his best friend, Anthony Scarpinato, a Dundee-area native.
Last week, the duo dropped off hundreds of dollars worth of toys at the police station, West Dundee Police Chief Andrew Wieteska said.
“They wanted us to do whatever we felt was appropriate (in handing them out),” he said.
It was decided to hand out some gifts during the seat belt check and the rest while walking through Spring Hill Mall in West Dundee.
Before heading out to do the check, Wieteska said that regardless of whether they were in compliance, all the kids would receive a gift.
“As long as they promise to wear a seat belt in the future,” he said.
Initially, drivers seemed confused when the officers stationed at the intersection in the Spring Hill Mall Gateway asked if there were children in the car. But after they were told about the initiative, they were pleasantly surprised.
“This is amazing,” Elgin resident Sharon Bergemann said. “And so generous. (Kids) get a reward for being safe and doing something they're supposed to do anyway.”
“This is awesome,” Sleepy Hollow resident Chrissy Nates said. “That was really nice of them.”
West Dundee police Officer Jason Highland said he enjoyed taking part in Wednesday's festivities.
“I love it,” he said. “It's not every day we get to do stuff like this.”
Mullen and Scarpinato said they were glad to be able to help spread some holiday cheer.
“We were not looking for any fanfare or recognition. We just felt it was the right thing to do,” Mullen said. “We've both been very blessed and we were talking a few weeks back and trying to figure out one time when we had a bad Christmas and we never experienced that. So we thought, why not make someone else's Christmas a little better if we can?”
For Scarpinato, the endeavor was a way to honor his father, Rodney, who died when Scarpinato was a child.
“This past weekend he would have turned 52 years old so it's an emotional time for me and my family,” he said. “If you talk to anybody about my dad, they would tell you he'd have given you the shirt off his back and that he had a heart of gold. I've been very blessed in my life and I think about my dad all the time and all the selfless things he did. I know he would've loved to do something like this. So although the holidays are tough for me, and not just for me but quite a few people mourning loved ones, I wanted to spread some joy and do it in memory of my father.”
And, Scarpinato added, while purchasing the gifts was gratifying, “It was so fun, too.”
“It was like I was a kid all over again,” he said.
Members of the West Dundee Police Department were thankful to be the face when handing out the gifts.
“What struck me is that not only did (Mullen and Scarpinato) donate the toys, but they gave them to the police department to hand out,” Sgt. Daniel Haines said. “It's something out of the ordinary: a cop giving a kid a present. But hopefully it's something the kids will remember for a long time.”
Wieteska was also grateful for the opportunity.
“We're very fortunate here,” he said. “Our community is very supportive of the police department.”
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