National Sheriffs' Association Honors Cook County Sheriff's Office (IL) with Crime Victim Services Award

The National Sheriffs’ Association recognizes advocates for exemplary service to vulnerable populations.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Child Rescue Unit in Cook County, Illinois, has been honored as the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) 2023 Crime Victim Services Award winner. Accepting the award for this group were CCSO personnel Deputy Chief Dion Trotter, Deputy Director Noureen Kapadia, Sergeant John O’ Farrell, Investigator Alvin Coleman, Investigator Keena Bradley, and Staff Wellness Chaplain Linda Ahrens.

NSA chose the CCSO Child Rescue Unit (CRU) for its work to locate missing and abducted children. The CCSO Child Rescue Unit has helped ensure that missing children do not become just another statistic. This specialized unit brings to focus that these children are valued and deserve to be found and protected.

Established in 2005 with support from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the NSA Crime Victim Services Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a sheriff’s office in support of victims. It is sponsored by Equifax, the nation’s leading provider of victim notification services and developer of VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday).

"Equifax is pleased to once again sponsor the National Sheriffs’ Association award and is proud of the impressive work of the CCSO to find and protect children in their county," said Jarrod Carnahan, Vice President of Government & Victim Services, Equifax Workforce Solutions. “We hope their important efforts will inspire organizations across the country to have a similar impact on their communities.”