Three new Plano police officers sworn in

Three new police officers were sworn into the Plano Police Department during a special city council meeting Monday, July 30.

However, the new officers won’t be riding solo in a car or making arrests for nearly two years, according to Lt. Norman Allison.

The three new officers are Luis C. Arreola, Brandon R. Miller and Nayelli Perez.

Arreola was raised in Cicero and graduated from Morton East High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences from East-West University.

Miller, a native of Plano, graduated from Plano High School and received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Aurora University.

Perez, a native of Aurora, is a graduate of East Aurora High School and received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Aurora University.

Allison said the three recruits were taken from a list of 48 applicants for the department.

They will bring the department to 21 officers, which is one fewer than its full complement of 22 officers. They plan to hire a 22nd officer in September.

Allison said two of the new officers will replace two who recently left Plano to join other departments.

They were sworn in by City Attorney Tom Grant, who said they will become members of the department on Aug. 7, each with a salary of $55,716.

Allison said they will begin 12 weeks of training at the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Academy, where they will learn Illinois law, basic police procedures, rules and regulations regarding basic police practices, and similar topics. After completing 27 weeks of training, they will return to the department to be assigned to a training officer for 15 weeks to practice what they learned at the academy and to learn how the Plano Police Department operates.

Allison said new recruits are evaluated each week by their training officers before going into the next phase of training. If they are successful in completing all required training, they will be placed on probation for 18 months.

If the officers complete their probationary period, they will have spent nearly two years in classes and training, qualifying them to be on their own in a squad car, Allison noted.

In addition to Chief Jonathan Whowell and Allison, the department’s personnel roster includes a school resource officer, a plain-clothes officer, and a detective.

Allison said the school resource officer spends most of his time at Plano High School but makes frequent visits to the other schools in District 88.

Plano has had a school resource officer since 2000, through the community-oriented policing program, Allison said. He noted that most officers serve in the position for a period of three years.

“I think it’s good for every officer to serve in the schools if they want to,” he said.