A two-year effort to increase the ranks of Homewood police officers was satisfied with the swearing in of Jason Johnson at Tuesday’s village board meeting. Johnson started with the department Aug. 2.
A two-year effort to increase the ranks of Homewood police officers was satisfied with the swearing in of Jason Johnson at Tuesday’s village board meeting.
Police Chief Bill Alcott said the department has typically had 37 members for most of his tenure. He has worked to increase staff, and Johnson brings the total to 41 police officers.
Johnson started with the department Aug. 2. He’s attending a 15-week Homewood police field training program, after which he’ll begin solo patrols in late November, Alcott said.
“I’ve always wanted to help people, in every way possible. And it seems like police routes are a good way to help people,” Johnson said.
Johnson, a 2004 T.F. South High School graduate from Lansing, said he spent a lot of time in Homewood during his youth. He also worked at Van Drunen Ford.
“Homewood is the second town that I grew up in,” he said. “Both my parents work in Homewood. I’ve worked in Homewood. Like, 75 percent of my life is in Homewood because my wife is from Homewood.
“Homewood’s a great town.”
Johnson was hired by the Hazel Crest police department in 2017 and attended basic police recruit training at the Chicago Police Academy in January. He also completed the Hazel Crest police training program before working solo patrols for that department.
Johnson said he originally wanted to be a pilot. An illness in his family changed the trajectory of his life and around 2009 he decided police work was what he wanted to do. He completed a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
“(Homewood’s) probably one of the best departments around,” Johnson said. “Everybody is very helpful, very nice. No problems right off the bat. I love Homewood.”
Also at the meeting, the village board approved a change in the liquor license ordinance that will allow some businesses to begin selling alcohol at 11 a.m. on Sundays.