HR1094 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1094 LRB096 21880 KXB 39855 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor accomplishments in the lives of citizens of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason has always held his family as his highest priority, as son, husband, father, and grandfather; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was a member of the Chicago Police Department for 25 years serving as a patrol officer in the Traffic Division until he was promoted to the rank of detective in 1967; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was transferred to Homicide Headquarters in 1979 where he served as city-wide Sex Crimes Coordinator and Analyst until he retired from the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason, along with former Commander Rudolph E. Nimocks, designed, staffed and administered a city-wide Sex Crimes Unit; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason initiated the first detailed sex crimes analysis in the City of Chicago and published comprehensive and analytical reports, tracked crime patterns, participated in training sex crimes detectives, and assisted in the production of a rape prevention film; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was the Chicago Police Department liaison with various citizen groups; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason, has been recognized by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA), the Chicago Police Department, and has received numerous Letters of Commendation from many organizations and citizens; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason joined the staff of the South East Chicago Commission as Law Enforcement Coordinator on August 9, 1982; he served the Hyde Park-Kenwood community with integrity and dedication, coordinating the efforts of the Chicago Police Department and the University of Chicago Security Department to reduce crime in the community, making it a more desirable place to live, work, and raise a family; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was commended by President Hanna Holborn Gray in 1984 for his extraordinary work as Law Enforcement Coordinator; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was commended by the Office of the State's Attorney on May 30, 1985 for his tremendous job in aiding an 84-year old woman who was the victim of an armed robbery and home invasion; the Assistant State's Attorney said Robert cared for the woman as if she were his own mother; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason accepted an award on March 8, 1986 from then-State's Attorney Richard M. Daley for his special efforts regarding a Juvenile Court case; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason assumed the position of Acting Executive Director on June 30, 1989 while maintaining his position of Law Enforcement Coordinator; he "carried out his responsibilities with a quiet effectiveness that one can only admire," stated then-President D. Gale Johnson; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was promoted to Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission in October of 1990; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason served the Hyde Park-Kenwood community for 28 years with professional, dedicated service, and always exhibited the utmost integrity in everything he did; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason accepted the Hyde Park Historical Society's Marian and Leon Despres Award on February 24, 2007 for the South East Chicago Commission and its role in preservation and cultural history in helping promote and create the Kenwood Landmark District; and

WHEREAS, Robert C. Mason was honored by the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce on October 23, 2008 at their 69th Annual Dinner for his on-going work to keep the area strong and vibrant; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Robert C. Mason on his retirement from the South East Chicago Commission and on his lifetime of service to the community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Robert C. Mason and the South East Chicago Commission as a symbol of our affection, gratitude, and respect.