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Romeoville honors youth safety participants and swears in four police officers
Summary
The board recognized participants in the fire and police youth safety academies, celebrated summer events, and swore in four lateral police officers — Richmond Clayton, Jason Slusiewicz, John Strezzo and Adrian O'Donnell — who each briefly addressed the board.
The Village of Romeoville opened its Aug. 20 meeting by recognizing this year’s youth fire safety camp and Police Youth Public Safety Academy. A fire department representative said the fourth-year fire camp filled to capacity within seven hours of registration and praised hands-on training that included fire prevention, search-and-rescue and a LifeStar helicopter demonstration.
Police staff described the three-day youth academy for 9–13 year olds that included drone operation, foot-chase drills and simulated tactical exercises. "These graduates were able to jump out of a police car and practice foot chases, fire a taser, fly a actual police drone, ride along with police ATVs," the presenter said, thanking officers and families for their support.
Following the recognitions, the board administered oaths and welcomed four new lateral police officers. Staff introduced each officer and noted their prior experience. The officers introduced and sworn in included:
- Richmond Clayton, introduced by the chief; he thanked the mayor, trustees and chief for the opportunity.
- Jason Slusiewicz, introduced by staff and who told the board, “So my name’s Jason,” and expressed appreciation for the chance to serve in Romeoville.
- John Strezzo, who said he is grateful for the welcome and looks forward to contributing to the community after a long career elsewhere.
- Adrian O’Donnell, presented with a recap of his 13 years of law enforcement experience and community ties.
Why it matters: the ceremonies highlight the village’s investments in youth programming and community policing, and the addition of experienced lateral officers is positioned as part of Romeoville’s recruitment strategy to blend seasoned officers with incoming rookies.
Officials’ remarks: Mayor Noak and trustees praised staff for the camps and for recruitment success; trustees noted the programs’ value for community engagement and possible career pipelines for participants.
Next steps: the new officers join patrol and other departmental assignments per the department’s personnel schedule.
