The Major Case Assistance Team -- an army of top detectives and technicians called on to untangle the Northwest suburbs' grisliest crimes -- is the recipient of a "Stars of Distinction" award from the Chicago Crime Commission.

The award, which will be presented to the group in October, honors MCAT's collaboration and performance in assisting myriad communities.

The 10-year-old agency got its start in the aftermath of the long-unsolved murders at the Brown's Chicken and Pasta restaurant in Palatine.

Today, it's a collaborative task force comprising about 80 members from 19 law enforcement agencies. The group, called in to probe crimes like multiple homicides and arsons, boasts a near-90 percent success rate in cracking the cases it is assigned.