Hello Mr. Passarelli,

I've written a few letters about the officers who serve our community. Today I'm writing about Officer Penny Boedigheimer.

Somehow she managed to park at the correct place, at the correct time, to catch me speeding (40 in a 30) along Bricher Road. Even before she pulled her vehicle out behind me, I knew I was in trouble.

I handed her my license and asked if I could look for the insurance card in the glovebox (in the past I would have started looking for the insurance card before she had gotten to the car, but times have changed and I didn't want to feel threatened or for myself to be seen as a threat.) Well, after getting the OK to get my insurance card, I could only find the card that had expired on Oct. 16, 2016.

I knew I had insurance as my bill is automatically deducted each year from my savings account. Officer Boedigheimer believed me and only wrote me a warning ticket for my speeding offense! I brought the current one (which I had at home) to the police station a little later Sunday afternoon.

Officer Boedigheimer probably thinks I talk too much because I was telling her about how safe I feel where I live here in Geneva. She also saw, upon my license, that I am a veteran - while she probably doesn't know it, I really appreciate her noticing that. I should have asked if she had been in a branch of the military, but somehow, I didn't get the chance (I was talking too much.) I was in the Air Force during Vietnam and then used my GI Bill to attend college. I've lived here in Geneva for most of my adult life, and I really love this community!

Anyway, I think Penny Boedigheimer is a very nice young woman! She handled my traffic stop in a very professional manner! I was a little nervous and perhaps that's why I was talking too much, but she was able to come across as more as a person who serves and "protects" and less as someone who demands respect but doesn't earn it.

At the same time, I can tell you that when Penny came up to my car window - her uniform and then more importantly her demeanor - certainly did earn my respect!

As a side note, when Penny approached my car, I found myself looking straight at what seemed to be a very well-maintained (but very complicated) holstered firearm. I was on the East High School rifle team in Rockford back in 1964-66. We fire mostly 22-caliber target rifles but also we fired the occasional 45-caliber handgun. Then in the Air Force, I qualified during basic training by firing an M16, which had not been very well-cared for at all. None the less, I ended up with more holes in my target than I had projectiles to fire! I hope Penny's comfortable with her service firearm(s), one of which looks very complicated to me. I pray she never finds herself in a non-training situation where she need to fire them.

Please let Penny and all the other Geneva Police officers and associated staff know that I respect the profession they have chosen. Let them know that in Geneva (and probably most locations in the U.S. and the world) I think we have fine officers and staff performing a very difficult job! Officers who want for their families and themselves what most everyone they interact with also desire.

"With steadfast dedication, each member of the Geneva Police Department takes great pride in providing the City of Geneva with quality service, protection and enforcement while maintaining the utmost level of professionalism and integrity."

The last time I wrote was to thank (former Police Chief) Mexin for having officers and staff, working in our city! This time, I'm writing to tell Eric Passarelli how well Officer Boedigheimer live up to the above quote during her interaction with me.

Greg

P.S. I worked many years before retirement. Once and awhile a client or co-worker would take the time to write a nice letter to the company about me. I know how good those letters made me feel. Please make sure Penny Boedigheimer feels the same way about this letter. Ane please make sure the rest of your organization know they are appreciated as well. Your department staff has rescued my flag when the flag pole in our yard broke during a bad storm. Your department has warned me about leaving my garage door open when I had forgotten to close it. Your department has served me and my family for many years! Recently, I saw another female Geneva officer helping a nice man who is tied to a wheel chair in our community. I often see him along Route 38 in the downtown area or in the State Street diner once in awhile. While sitting at a stop sign, I saw the female officer bringing a coffee cup out of Starbucks and giving it to him while he was waiting on the sidewalk. While I don't know the officers name this story is just another example of the quality of people you have around you!