BARTONVILLE —Around the same time he started working for the Elmwood Police Department, Brian Fengel discovered his grandmother had lost several thousands of dollars in a scam.

“My grandmother was a victim of a scam and this is when I just got into police work,” said Fengel. “She was embarrassed about it; she felt victimized about it; and didn’t really want to do anything about it. I said that’s not the thing to do. The thing to do is to take action against it; try to find out who did it; and try to stop it. Either get them arrested or stopped, whatever you’ve got to do.”
Now the Chief of Police for the Bartonville Police Department, Fengel has taken action to prevent scam artists from victimizing senior citizens, during the past 15 years.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s Office recently recognized Fengel for his long-standing efforts of educating senior citizens and protecting them from scams and frauds, naming him the 2012 Elderly Service Office of the Year, during an annual conference in Joliet.

Fengel was “very surprised and honored” when he received the statewide award.
“I had no idea it would be coming,” said Fengel.
Fengel, who has been the Chief of Police for the Bartonville Police Department since 1998, went through the Attorney General’s training program for Elderly Service Officers 13 years ago. Two years later, he went through the Attorney General’s advanced training program for Elderly Service Officers. He requires all Bartonville Police Officers to complete the Elderly Service Officer training to best prepare them for one-on-one interaction in an emergency.
Bartonville Police Department investigations have led to the arrest of several scam artists who had attempted to scam senior citizens in the Village of Bartonville.
In one case, Bartonville Police Officers discovered a 74-year-old Bartonville resident had paid more than $100,000 in a scam. The resident’s son and his girlfriend were eventually convicted of related charges.
In another case, Fengel and a detective recovered almost all of the $25,000 that was stolen from a different elderly Bartonville resident.
Fengel initiated a Safety for Seniors annual fair for all seniors in Bartonville and Peoria County, 15 years ago. Seniors can learn how to detect home repair frauds and scams at the fair.
“You’ve got to kind of educate on how these guys work because they are criminals,” said Fengel. “They know what they’re doing. I’ve met with them and basically know how they operate. They’re not going to quit.”
“We have mutual understanding (with the scam artists) that this stuff is not going to fly in this community or Peoria County or wherever. You’ve got to kind of send that message that we don’t want you guys here. If you’re coming in here to rip off people, you might want to think twice.”
Fengel has worked with the Better Business Bureau over the past several years, helping him discover new home repair frauds and scams.
Bartonville Police Department is one of the few law enforcement agencies in the state that staffs a senior/victim advocate.
The senior/victim advocate “focuses on senior needs,” said Fengel.
“We’ve had seniors wanting us to show them how to light a furnace or to turn on their furnace,” said Fengel. “Things like that we put the victim advocate on.”
Currently, Kathy Ashby serves as the senior/victim advocate for the Bartonville Police Department. The department has staffed a senior/victim advocate for the past 10 years.
Community Outreach Liaison for the Attorney General’s Office Ella York said Fengel’s efforts demonstrate the type of “inventiveness, sensitivity, motivation, persistence, leadership and commitment to the older community” that the award exemplifies.