Algonquin Police Department starts snowman competition, encourages ‘community togetherness’

An Algonquin Police Department Facebook post challenging neighboring towns in a snowman competition has gone viral, with multiple police departments and residents joining in on the fun.

The post, which was made Friday evening, has gained almost 200 “likes” and over 50 comments by Sunday afternoon. Residents from all over McHenry County have submitted photos of their best snowman builds in hopes of garnering the most “likes.”

Other police departments that joined the friendly competition include McHenry, Johnsburg and Marengo, Algonquin Police Department Sgt. Tim Cooney said. The department plans on making a dedicated post of the snowman with the most “likes,” Cooney said.

It all started when Algonquin police records clerk Julie Patenaude sent a photo of a snowman she built with her family, and Sgt. Rob Salazar shared his own creation, Cooney said.

“I thought that would be a fun way for everybody to get out,” he said. “Let’s have some fun when everything else is doom and gloom with the weather and we can’t travel.”

The police department started dedicating staff to its social media account to encourage more “community togetherness” while “humanizing” officers, Cooney said.

“Our officers, after working hard in the snowstorm and everything, they’re going home to their families and they’re trying to do the same thing that the community is,” he said.

The temperature dropped significantly Saturday evening, with wind chills reaching minus 30 degrees, and Cooney reminded people to stay safe when going outside.

“Now, I don’t want the kids to be out playing when it’s negative degrees tomorrow,” he said.

Cooney’s goal is for the police department to get more Facebook followers, so residents can be up to date on emergency notifications.

“They may have jumped on board for a snowman challenge, but when we need to tell them that a road is closed, they’re still able to get that information,” he said.

The snowman challenge has inspired the Algonquin police to further connect with neighboring departments, encouraging stronger communication and teamwork in the future.

“We’re starting that process of working together and that, I think, is only going to benefit the entire McHenry County as time comes,” he said.