On April 21, 2017, Detective Eric Carstensen was awarded the ‘Rising Shields of Law Enforcement’ Award from the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. Eric was presented the award by Ed Wojcicki, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, at their annual Training Conference in Oak Brook.

Eric received the award for his continued dedication to the law enforcement profession and his positive, proactive approach to law enforcement. Eric began his law enforcement career in 1999 with the Lake Bluff Police Department before joining the Vernon Hills Police Department. He was hired by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 and transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2015.

Throughout his law enforcement career, Eric served as an evidence technician, traffic crash reconstructionist, criminal investigator, and field training officer. Eric volunteered to be a founding member of the sheriff’s office body worn camera committee, member of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), and to be a member of an anti-gang grant writing team. He comes to work every day with a positive attitude, which is contagious and proves to be motivating to his fellow coworkers.

Sheriff Mark Curran said, “I am very proud of Detective Carstensen and all of his hard work over the years. His dedication, positive can-do attitude, and willingness to serve others is inspiring!”

Undersheriff Ray Rose added, “We are grateful to the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police for selecting Detective Carstensen to receive this prestigious award. He is well-deserving of the award and we are very pleased with his service to the law enforcement profession.”