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Round Lake Beach swears in two officers and honors police, volunteers and citizens
Summary
At the Jan. 26 council meeting the village swore in Officers Joshua Wilkins and Alexander Rodriguez, presented DUI‑enforcement recognitions to two officers and named local volunteers and an officer and citizen of the year.
The Village of Round Lake Beach swore in two new police officers and recognized several individuals for service and public-safety work at its Jan. 26 meeting.
Mayor Nichols and village staff administered the oath to Officer Joshua Wilkins and Officer Alexander (Alex) Rodriguez, after which the meeting moved to the police department awards. Deputy Chief Schuster framed the department’s 2025 mission as "serving with purpose" and presented DUI‑enforcement commendations: Officer Torres was credited with 25 DUI arrests in 2025 and Officer Placencia with 44 DUI arrests in 2025. A written commendation from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists was read congratulating their efforts in reducing impaired‑driving risks.
Commander Grace presented the Emergency Management Agency’s Volunteer of the Year to Lieutenant Michael Van Bledel, who logged 156 volunteer hours in 2025 and was credited with mobilizing the agency’s mobile command unit during a December emergency. The Police Department presented Dave Feltner as its 2025 Citizen of the Year for sustained support to department initiatives and named Officer Bob Gannon as Officer of the Year for his community-engagement and multifaceted duties across specialized assignments.
Quotes from department leadership emphasized public safety and community partnership. Deputy Chief Schuster said the DUI recognitions reflected the department’s focus on preventing crashes and saving lives; Chief Rodriguez reiterated a focus on policing with quality and public engagement.
The recognitions were followed by additional village proclamations honoring employees who reached multi‑year service milestones earlier in 2025.
