Jesus Arroyo, 26, of Chicago, was sworn in by Mayor Anthony Calderone at the Monday, June 27 village council meeting. His first day with the department was Friday, July 1.
After a week of orientation, Arroyo will start an 11-week program at the Police Academy on July 11. Following completion of the academy program, he will spend approximately four months training in Forest Park.
Arroyo earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Illinois Chicago and has been a corrections officer with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department since November 2015. As part of his Sheriff’s Department training, he graduated from the Corrections Academy, which Forest Park Police Chief Tom Aftanas said should give him a good head start.
Arroyo’s appointment brings the department up to full strength, 38 total officers, for the first time since 2015.
“We look forward to Jesus joining the force and we’re glad to have him,” Aftanas said. “We needed to get up to full strength.”
After administering the oath of office, Calderone congratulated Arroyo, calling him “bright, young, energetic, willing, ready and aptly-prepared.”
Robert J. Lifka
