Illinois Valley Times

State Rep. John M. Cabello (R-Freeport) recently issued a statement honoring fallen law enforcement officers on Police Officers Memorial Day.

"The men and women who have the courage, dedication, and honor to wear that badge don’t want to do anything except protect and serve,” Cabello said in the release. 

“It’s a calling, a lifestyle, not just something you decide to do,” he said. “It’s something that burns inside of you, driving you to help your fellow citizens, to be there when they need you most, and to handle rapidly evolving situations perfectly. These brave men and women do everything they can, day in and day out, to do their job right, with honor, integrity, and guts. Most importantly, they do it to protect you. There is no more noble job than being able to protect one’s citizens, and there are no more committed people to do this job than our police." 

His release came several days after Cabello shared that he had been a featured speaker at the Macomb FOP Blue Line Ball. "I had the honor of being the keynote speaker at the Macomb Fraternal Order of Police Blue Line Ball on Saturday,” he said of that experience. “They are a great group of heroes who protect the citizens of Macomb. Thank you for having me! Also great to be with Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Norine K Hammond!” 

A ceremony to honor fallen peace officers was held in Springfield on May 4. Current honorees included: Officer Nicholas Kozak, Forest Park Police Department, E.O.W. 11-27-2021; Officer James R. Svec, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 12-08-2021; CBP Canine Officer Jeffrey P. Dela Cruz, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, E.O.W. 12-23-2021; Officer Jose M. Huerta, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 12-23-2021; Detective Joseph A. Tripoli, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 01-03-2022; Deputy Sheriff Michael John Queeney, Will County Sheriff’s Office, E.O.W. 1-8-2022; Officer Brian Romel Shields, Aurora Police Department, E.O.W. 1-11-2022; Deputy Sheriff Joseph Robert Tinoco, Cook County Sheriff’s Department, E.O.W. 1-13-2022; Sergeant Kenneth John Thurman Sr., Aurora Police Department, E.O.W. 1-19-2022; Deputy Sheriff Brian J. Norton, Ford County Sheriff’s Office, E.O.W. 2-5-2022; Officer Brian Lee Sember, Ottawa Police Department, E.O.W. 4-3-2022; Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Donald Weist, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, E.O.W. 4-29-2022.

Historic Honorees: Sergeant Claude E. Bowman, Cook County Highway Patrol, E.O.W. 7-23-1923; Sergeant Francis J. McGraw, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 5-6-1942; Officer Charles Hibsch, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 11-9-1947; Officer Dennis F. Collins, Chicago Police Department, E.O.W. 7-3-1953; Deputy John Venton Donaldson Sr., Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, E.O.W. 9-21-1956 

Cabello was appointed to fill a vacancy in the 68th District and was sworn into office in August 2012. He was elected to that seat in November of that year and has been re-elected in 2014, 2016 and 2018. In 2022, Cabello was elected State Representative for the new 90th District which starts in Boone County and cuts across the top of Winnebago County out to Stephenson County and Freeport.