The Rochester Police Department has a proud tradition of serving and protecting the residents of the Village of Rochester, and the many people who visit our community. |
Duty Roster – Past and Present
The Rochester Police department has an extensive heritage with a service record dating back to 1878 when the village’s law enforcement officers were formally known as constables. Beginning in 1915 the term marshal was used for law officers, and sometime after 1966, and ever since, the term police officer has been used for those holding this position.
We take the time to identify these individuals who have served and are currently serving as Rochester Officers. The department we have today is directly attributable to those individuals who have helped build it up over the years to where we are today. Those Officers whose names are in bold have over 20 years’ service with this department. We stand where we are because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
A Plaque with the names and dates of service of each of these officers is proudly displayed in the entry way of our department.
A review of the minutes of the Village board meetings and Police Department records revealed the following individuals as having served in the capacity as law enforcement officers with the Village of Rochester.
Click to see a list of the names of all those who have served in our department.
Officer Janelle Shea 2014 – present
Sergeant Matthew Henton 2016 – present
Officer Thomas Doolin 2017 – present
Detective Justin Harris 2005 -2013 | 2017 – present
Officer Mikel Ollech 2018 – present
Officer Brent Heaton 2019 – present
Officer Deavon Todd 2020 - present
Officer Jonathan Irwin – 2020 – present
Officer Julia Meadows - 2021 - present
Chief Tim Sommer 2021 - present
Officer Travis Campbell - 2022 - present
Officer Rita Nickell - 2022 - present
Officer Shawn Burnley - 2022 - present
*Indicates 20 years or more of service.
*Constable A.H. Bert May 6, 1878 – 1923
Constable S.W. Hawkins 1895 – 1897
Marshal A.B. Crawford 1915 – 1928
Marshal H.C. Gilbert 1923 -1926
Marshal D.R. Beck 1928 – 1931
Marshal Walter Dickerson 1931 – 1935
Marshal Lyman Campbell - unknown
Marshal Dan Dike - unknown
*Indicates 20 years or more of service.
Officer Joe Ross’s unknown Officer Hank Bregenhorn 1971 – 1975 Officer Tom Bierbaum 1972 – 1974 Officer John Foster 1972 – 1977 *Officer Mervin Spurgeon 1972 -1997 Officer Bill Coffey 1973 – 1974 Officer Ron Aten 1974 *Officer Sam Gresham 1974 – 1996 Officer Carl Jiannoai Jr 1974 – 1978 Officer Mitchell Murdock 1974 – 1976 Officer Rusty Yeaman Jr 1975 – 1978 Officer John Barbee 1976 – 1977 Officer Jim Cohan 1976 Officer Rick Cox 1976 – 1977 Officer Bob Rentschler 1976 – 1978 Chief Mike Upchurch 1976 – 1987 Officer Ed Cecil 1977 Officer Larry Dobson 1977 – 1982 Officer Dave Miller 1977 *Chief Steve Rutledge 1977 – 1997 Officer Wayne Baker 1978 – 1981 *Officer Michael Grim 1978 – Officer Terry Day 1979 – 1996 *Chief William Marass 1981 – 2016 | Officer Mike Creighton 1983 – 1988 Officer Dennis Leonard 1987 – 1988 Officer Lonnie Stivers 1988 – 1998 *Officer Jon Schwartz 1989 – 2017 / 2018 - Officer Rick Beaty 1989 – 2000 Officer Dave Baker 1995 – 2000 Officer John Hayes 1995 – 1998 *Chief Kent Bragg 1997 – 2019 Officer Shane Overby 1998 – 1999 Officer Kim Roberson 1998 – 2000 Officer Kevin Gade 1999 – 2004 Officer Tim Day 1999 – 2003 Officer Joe Foster 2000 – 2004 Officer Tim Sweeney 2001 – 2004 Officer Kurt Davis 2001 – 2004 Officer Micah Stoll 2003 – 2013 Officer Brad Tweryon 2004 – 2008 Officer Ryan Winkle 2004 – 2006 Officer Justin Harris 2005 – 2013 Officer Michael Rawlings 2006 – 2012 Officer Mark Cordes 2006 – 2012? Officer Dennis Leonard 2006 – 2014 Officer Tim Sommer 2008 – 2014 Officer Matthew Wilkin 2012 – 2013 | Officer Steve Patterson 2012 – 2019 Officer Michael Verdun 2013 – 2019 Chief Kaleb Johnson 2013 – 2021 Officer Andrew Henton 2013 – 2016 Officer Will Brooks 2014 – 2015 Officer Ben Slusser 2014 – 2016 Officer Janelle Shea 2014 – Sergeant Matthew Henton 2016 – Officer Joseph Felchner 2016 – 2019 Officer Thomas Doolin 2017 – Detective Justin Harris 2005 -2013 | 2017 – Officer Brian Tweryon 2017- 2018 Officer Mikel Ollech 2018 – *Officer Jon Schwartz 1989 – 2017 / 2018 - 2022 Officer Ryan Martin 2019 – 2021 Officer Brent Heaton 2019 – Officer Daniel Schnell 2020 – 2022 Officer Deavon Todd 2020 - Officer Jonathan Irwin – 2020 – Officer Julia Meadows - 2021 - Chief Tim Sommer 2021 - Officer Travis Campbell - 2022 - Officer Rita Nickell - 2022 - Officer Shawn Burnley - 2022 - |
*Indicates 20 years or more of service.
Since the Rochester Police Department became a full-time agency, the following individuals have had the privilege to serve in the capacity as chief:
Michael Upchurch 1976 – 1987
*Stephen Rutledge 1987 – 1997
*William Marass 1997 – 2016
*Kent Bragg 2016 – 2019
Kaleb Johnson 2019 - 2021
Tim Sommer 2021 - present
*Indicates 20 years or more of service.
The Rochester Police Department patch was designed by members of the Department in 1991. It is used on the sleeves of all uniform shirts, jackets, sweaters, and winter coats.
The patch design consists of the Village of Rochester’s Coat of Arms. Heraldic research found that the shield design for the name of Rochester was indicated by the use of a “chief” shield. This is a shield that has the top 1/3 of the shield separated from the rest of the shield by a single horizontal line.
The name Rochester refers to a “fortified bridge”, from the Old English word “hrof” meaning roof or bridge and the Latin word “castra” meaning a fortified military camp. The original City of Rochester, England was called Hrofoecoestre. Located in the top 1/3 of the shield is a stone (fortified) bridge symbolizing the Old English meaning of the name Rochester.
Heraldic tradition dictates that the lower 2/3 of the Rochester shield be divided into quadrants by the use of the Cross of St. George. The traditional colors for the Rochester name are red and gold (yellow). The Village of Rochester shield displays a red Cross of St. George on a gold (yellow) background.
Rochester was originally settled around 1819. The area was noted for its rich farmland and the enormous sugar maple groves of the San-gam-ma (Sangamon River). The quadrants of the Rochester shield are symbolic of the reasons this region was settled almost 200 years ago – that being the green sugar maple leaf and the brown shocks of harvested corn.
Located within the Coat of Arms is the helmet which sits on top of the shield. Attached to the helmet is the mantle, which is a cloth that was traditionally attached to the helmet for protection during battle. The Rules of Heraldry require that the Rochester mantle is to be lined in gold (yellow) and that the outer color of the mantle is to be red, the primary color of the Rochester Coat of Arms.
Located above the helmet is the crest. The Village crest is referred to as a “Sun in its Splendor.” It is used in heraldic designs to symbolize an ideal place to live, one of great energy and dynamic development. Located within the “Sun in its Splendor” are two white Federal Stars, symbolizing National Union and two yellow fleur-de-lis, symbolizing State Sovereignty (our State motto). Also located within the “Sun” are two crossed white feathers which symbolize the American Indian heritage that is responsible for the name of the county in which Rochester is located – Sangamon County. The name Sangamon comes from the Indian word San-gam-ma, meaning mouth of river.
The Village of Rochester’s Coat of Arms is registered nationally by the American College of Heraldry.
We select prospective police officers with regard to their integrity and judgment. Those selected will be expected to live up to the highest ethical standards in both conduct and decision making. We are empowered to enforce the laws of our country, our state, and our community, and we are expected to do so in a fair and impartial manner.
Policing is a service-oriented profession and we must never lose sight of that; despite our personal feelings it is our responsibility to be polite and professional in each and every contact we make. The Chief is expected to provide a vision for the department and sell that vision. Supervisors are expected to grow their people, to model behavior for their officers to emulate. We are expected to create a culture of Honor by our actions and to foster and demand this of our people. Ours is a truly noble profession and our actions should reflect this.
The Selection Process will include:
Applicants who are selected to continue on in the testing process will be given a conditional offer of employment and required to pass the following examinations:
Applicants who meet the requirements of the Conditional Offer of Employment will be sent to a State-Certified Academy, typically either Police Training Institute (PTI) or the Illinois State Police Academy, to complete their basic law enforcement training. Upon successful completion of this academy, they will be assigned a Field Training Officer (FTO) who will develop and mentor them in their assimilation of becoming a Rochester Police Officer.
Thank you for your interest in the Rochester Police Department. We are committed to selecting only the best possible applicants to become Rochester Police Officers.
The selection process will consist of a written examination, an oral review board, and an extensive background investigation. This process will determine an eligibility list which will be used to fill current and upcoming vacancies within the department.
Candidates selected to become recruits will be given a Conditional Offer of Employment contingent upon their successful completion of the P.O.W.E.R. (Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report) test, medical examination, a psychological screening, and a comprehensive drug test.
You must include with your application the notarized affidavit, the release of information waiver, your college transcript(s), a copy of your high school diploma, a copy of your birth certificate, and your DD Form 214 (if applicable). Before downloading and completing the application, please take the time to view our minimum requirements and familiarize yourself with the hiring process.
***ALL application materials must be received by 5:00 P.M. on August 19, 2022. Applications can be dropped off or mailed to:
Rochester Police Department
#1 Community Drive
Rochester, Illinois 62563
Any questions can be directed to the department by phone at (217) 489-8424 or by e-mail at tsommer@rochester.illinois.gov.
No tattoos will be authorized which are visible on the head, neck, face or hands.
Officers may not have tattoo(s), whether covered or not, that is considered inappropriate or offensive.
Officers shall not wear any item of ornamentation in their nose, eyebrow, tongue or any other location of their body that is visible while functioning in a law enforcement capacity.
Earrings may be worn. Earrings must be small and worn only on/in ear lobe.
Employees shall not be appointed, reclassified, or promoted to any position where he/she would be in direct line supervisory or subordinate position with a relative. Relatives include spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.
Employees hired in violation of this policy shall be terminated and employees reclassified or promoted in violation of this policy shall be returned to their previous position, if vacant, otherwise shall be terminated.
Individuals shall be recruited from a geographic area as wide as is necessary to assure obtaining well qualified candidates for employment with the Village. Employment is not limited to residence of the Village of Rochester. However, employees of the Village must reside within a 25-mile radius of the Village Office.
Newly hired employees that live outside of the residence limit have six (6) months from their first paid workday to relocate within the 25-mile limit. Failure to meet the 25-mile residence requirement will result in termination.
Current employees hired before November 1, 2005 that reside beyond the 25-mile limit may continue to live at their current locations. However, should a current employee who resides outside the limit move, that employee is required to relocate within the residence limit. Failure to meet the 25-mile residence limit following a move could result in termination.
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Rochester Police Department
1 Community Drive
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(217) 381-8351 (non-emergency)