Dupage Policy Journal

During its April 3 meeting, the Batavia City Council mourned the death of a city police officer.

On the same day, the Carol Stream Village Board also recognized the tragedy. Batavia Police Officer Joe Gudella suffered an accidental death in late March while visiting family in northern Wisconsin. He joined the Batavia Police Department (BPD) in January 2022 after having served Cook County's department for several years, During his 14-month tenure, Gudella made a large impact on the Batavia community, with residents coming to know him as someone who would talk to and get to know them. He was lauded for jumping into the frigid Fox River to save a family dog that had run away. His fellow officers and superiors were deeply wounded by losing a good friend, a good officer and a shining member of the Batavia community.

Members of the Carol Stream community held a moment of silence at their board meeting in Gudella's honor, offering thoughts and prayers for his family, the BPD and the Batavia community. The Carol Stream Police Department assisted throughout the wake and funeral, acting as security and traffic control so that other BPD members could mourn and attend the service.

The Batavia City Council mourned Gudella's death—along with other weather-related tragedies in the community—during their meeting.

"Tonight we meet in our council chambers following a very troubling and sorrowful weekend in Batavia headed up by the accidental death of Officer Joe Gudella of the Batavia Police Department," Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke said. "We remember Joe with great fondness because he was a get-out-and-know-the-people person, and he had a great relationship with animals. He certainly had a loving family as was evidenced at his memorial services, and he is a person we are sorely going to miss, and so we just ask a special blessing be showered on him and his family as they go about this most difficult time."

The state of Illinois is recognizing National Emergency Telecommunicators Week from April 9 through 15. Many police departments, fire departments, Emergency Medical Services and municipalities are honoring their local dispatch centers and 911 operators for the hard, unseen work that they do helping connect residents with first responders during crises. Dispatch Centers such as the DuComm Center are the reason why 911 calls are always met by informed and prepared officers ready and able to assist citizens.