Public servants like Officer Christopher Schoof of the Chesterton Police Department help protect their communities on a daily basis in many ways that are never seen by the public eye. When Jeannie Nowarita, Business Development Specialist at StoryPoint Chesterton, learned that Schoof was devoting himself to a case involving one of her residents, she felt compelled to honor Schoof for his service.
“I feel like right now the police are not getting enough positive recognition,” Nowarita said. “My dad was a police officer, so I’m really passionate about focusing on good things right now. When Courtney [Fokianos] and I learned about all things he had done, I connected with my friend who has a sign business. He's always posting signs he’s made for different officers, and I thought of how great it would be for him to make one for Officer Schoof.”
Trooper Mike Jones of the Indiana State Police has a passion for woodworking and runs Fallen Timbers Woodshop as a side business. Nowarita has been friends with Jones’ wife for 15 years, so she was familiar with Jones’ business and dedication to creating items particularly for first responders, police officers, and other groups committed to protecting the public.
When approached with the idea, Jones jumped on board and handcrafted the beautiful wooden plaque that Nowarita and Executive Director at StoryPoint Chesterton Courtney Fokianos presented Schoof this afternoon. Nowarita reached out to the Chesterton Police Chief, and they worked together to plan this surprise award ceremony complete with doughnuts.
What both Nowarita and Fokianos found so commendable in Schoof’s efforts was his commitment to helping the StoryPoint Chesterton resident through her struggles beyond what was necessary for him to do.
Schoof had been assigned to a resident who had a significant portion of her money stolen by a family member. While this kind of case can be difficult to prosecute and the family member had power of attorney over the resident, it was clear to Schoof that the money was not being used for the resident.
“I’ve been in police work for 14 years, and I’ve had quite a few investigations involving elderly people being taken of monetarily,” Schoof said. “That bothers me. Helping was just the right thing to do. You’ve got to jump through the hoops and make sure there are proper, positive findings to the case.”
Because of Schoof’s investigation, the bank will replace some of the money stolen by the resident’s family member, and that family member will have a criminal case against them. Fokianos is grateful for Schoof’s dedication to the case and how he kept her informed during his investigation.
“He could have just come in, taken the report, and left, but he’s called me every couple days to follow up and give me updates. He went above and beyond to help,” Fokianos said.
Schoof is proud to serve Chesterton and enjoys the overall friendly atmosphere he has discovered within its community. He was humbled by the award he received for his efforts to ensure the best result for the resident at StoryPoint Chesterton.
“This award is really cool,” Schoof said. “Chesterton PD has been awesome since I’ve been here, and this is going to be my retirement agency.”
For more information about StoryPoint Chesterton, visit https://www.storypoint.com/community/chesterton-in/.